


Play By Play

by datajana



Series: A Part To Play [3]
Category: Kings of Con (Web Series), Supernatural, Supernatural RPF
Genre: 69 (Sex Position), Alternate Universe, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angst, Blow Jobs, Bottom Loki (Supernatural: Unfinished Business), Bottom Richard Speight Jr., Coma, Come Eating, Crying, Dark Thoughts, Depression, Dimension Travel, Dirty Talk, Double Anal Penetration, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Explicit Sexual Content, Felching, Fictional World, Fluff and Angst, Frottage, Gabriel Is Addicted To Liquid Protein, Gabriel is a brat, Gabriel's Cherries R Belong To Loki, Kissing, Loneliness, M/M, Meta!Gabriel - Freeform, Meta!Gabriel Is A Sweet Innocent Babe, Multi, Needy Gabriel, Needy Loki, Norse god/archangel/human, Oral Sex, Panic Attacks, Polygamy-Triad, Portals, Protective Loki (supernatural), Rimming, Seeding, Self-cest, Smut, Some Humor, Spitroasting, Switch Gabriel (Supernatural), Switch Richard Speight Jr., Team Free Will parenting, Threesome - M/M/M, Top Gabriel (Supernatural), Vegas baby!, Warding, climbing Mount Everest sucks, dean is stubborn, mountain climbing, nsfw images, to the moon!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-05
Updated: 2019-04-01
Packaged: 2019-10-04 13:23:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 57,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17305382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/datajana/pseuds/datajana
Summary: Rich, Gabriel, and Loki head to the fictional world, but they are separated by forces that nearly destroy them.It's up to a familiar face to help bring them back together, and they discover just how truly unique they all are.





	1. Making It Through

**Author's Note:**

> This is the third part of my "Playing Gabriel" series.
> 
> I highly recommend reading the previous parts before this one or it will make no sense whatsoever.

As soon as their hands touched, light erupted before Rich’s eyes. He clenched them shut from the intense brightness and tightened his grip on Gabriel’s hand, deeply glad when it was squeezed back reassuringly. Suddenly the firm ground beneath his feet disappeared, and he felt what could only be described as a warm summer breeze against his face. He risked peeking through one of his eyes, then opened them both wide in absolute wonder.

All around him he saw colors that he never knew existed. They swirled, dipped, and twisted together. They sparkled and shimmered. Some even seemed to be doing all of it at once, and he wondered if this was what an acid trip was like. It was also dead quiet; he couldn’t even hear himself breathe, which reminded him to count his breaths.

He had just reached number four before he felt gravity reassert its hold on him. He felt his knees buckle, and if it weren’t for Gabriel quickly moving his strong hand up to his elbow and pulling him close to his side he would’ve fallen.

“Careful there, Love. Don’t want you getting a faceful of moondust,” Gabriel said. He stretched his wings and shifted his shoulders. “Well, that part’s done.”

Rich let his eyes roam over the landscape around them. Judging by how dim the terrain appeared, he guessed they were just at the point of where the moon was facing opposite the Earth. It looked like the pictures he had seen growing up as a kid: barren, covered in rocks, gray. He could almost make out shallow depressions in the distance that he assumed were craters, and above their heads he could see the black void of space.

And the stars...

Oh the stars!

On Earth they seemed to twinkle because of the atmosphere that surrounded the blue and green planet, but because of the moon’s gasless atmosphere, the stars shone like brilliant points of light. He knew he would never forget the marvelous sight.

Gabriel and Loki watched him with contented looks upon their faces. “I told you,” Gabriel whispered to Loki as Rich continued to stare in awe above him. The trickster god looked down, a small smile playing about his lips.

Rich turned to them, his expression one of pure delight. “I know I’m able to breathe because of something one or both of you are doing, but…” He swept his arm out around them. “It doesn’t matter! This is incredible guys! I’m overwhelmed!” His eyes danced with joy.

Gabriel pulled him forward and kissed him. “Then we’ll make sure to bring you here whenever you want. How’s that?”

Rich smiled and kissed him back. “How can I refuse?”

Loki cleared his throat, drawing their attention. “While I am all for making future plans, you guys DO remember why we’re here in the first place, right?” He then kicked a rock and watched it slowly bounce away.

“I think you overshot a bit,” he said to Gabriel, who shot him a disgruntled look.

“Forgive me for focusing more on your safety instead of being a hundred percent accurate on where we were landing!” he grumbled. He sighed when Rich kissed him on the forehead, attempting to soothe him. “Thanks sweetheart,” he said softly.

Loki cut his eyes at the two. “You’re forgiven, now let’s go,” he said, then tugged on Gabriel’s arm to pull him and Rich along with him as he turned and started walking. Gabriel hummed as he was dragged behind him, satisfied at being right and “winning”, and Rich chuckled at his behavior.

He never wanted to be away from his lovers for a moment; they made life worth living.

 

* * *

 

The trio made their way further from where the sun cast its rays upon the planetoid until all Rich could see was the faint outline of Gabriel’s form in front of him. After a time, they began to cover more ground with the help of Gabriel’s wings and grace by bounding across the lunar surface in smooth, precise leaps. They would run for several feet before jumping and propelling themselves forward, and the archangel would use his feathery appendages to glide them gently to the ground.

Gabriel made sure to keep his hold on Rich’s hand tight and secure, promising that he would never let go, that he would never let anything happen to him. Rich had been terrified at first, but his trust in his angel, and his trickster, was unwavering, and he soon settled into the easy rhythm that was set:

Jump.

Glide.

Land.

Run.

Jump.

Glide.

Land.

They continued at this pace for several minutes. Rich didn’t realize when it happened, but he started to enjoy himself. It was like a game, a race, and they needed to get to the finish line as quickly as possible.

A glimmer of light flickering in the distance soon caught his attention, and he called out, “Is that it?”

Gabriel shouted back over his shoulder. “Yes! We’re going to slow down here shortly. Watch for my signal!”

“Got it!” Rich replied.

The light grew brighter and larger, and Gabriel squeezed his hand before their next landing.

When his feet touched the ground, he copied Gabriel and Loki’s gait as they continued to run forward. They then slowly came to a stop and he released his angel’s hand. The archangel took that moment to phase his wings away, and Rich felt a little sad to see them disappear. He panted slightly as he walked to stand between Gabriel and Loki to look at the portal.

He had expected it to be similar to the one on the show: a strip of light just hanging in the air that they would casually walk into like it was no big deal. Instead, it looked like a large duck pond filled with a shimmering, opalescent-blue substance that gave off its own glow. He heard a gentle thrumming from the area surrounding the aperture, and there was the faint scent of honeysuckle in the air.

“Do we, just, um, jump in?” Rich stammered.

“We don’t,” Loki said. He went to stand before Rich. “Where we’re about to go, it’s not what you’re probably thinking it’s going to be.”

“How so?” Rich asked, eyeing the beaming pool behind him.

“In our world, you'll more than likely be invisible to everyone. But not me and Gabriel!” Loki quickly added at Rich’s stricken face. “You also don’t have any special abilities like we do, so it’s best that we don’t become separated.”

Gabriel sighed and reached over to wrap his arm around the human’s shoulder. “Now why would he want to be separated from sexy beasts like us, Loki?” Gabriel bantered, trying to calm the nervousness he felt radiating off Rich.

Loki frowned. “I’m being serious, Gabriel!” he snapped. Gabriel gave him an exasperated look, darting his eyes at Rich then back to him. Loki heaved a sigh, then stepped closer. “I’m just trying to explain that we need to stay together. If we get split up, it could cause problems.” His eyes were filled with trepidation as he looked into their faces. “For _all_ of us.”

“I understand,” Rich nodded, swallowing his fear. Nothing was ever simple when it came to dealing with _Supernatural_ , was it? He rubbed Gabriel’s arm, then walked past Loki, patting his shoulder as he went. He made his way towards the portal and stopped just by the edge of its shimmering surface. “How do we do this?”

He heard Gabriel and Loki step up to either side of him. “Just wade in and stay still. The portal will do the rest,” Gabriel said.

Rich glanced at him in befuddlement. “What will it do exactly?” he said, eyeing the strange, gleaming matter.

He felt Loki rest a hand on his shoulder. “Just stay still, and don’t struggle,” he said, gripping him gently to assure him.

“We’re with you. You won’t be alone,” Gabriel added. He smiled, and Rich leaned to the side to kiss him softly.

“OK,” he said. He turned to Loki and found the god already in his face, pressing forward to kiss him as well.

“Stay still,” he said again as he pulled away.

Rich nodded. “OK.”

They then all turned and waded slowly into the pool. Rich gasped as he immediately sank all the way down to mid-thigh. It was so cold! Like ice! How was he supposed to keep still in this?

“Come on, Baby,” he heard Gabriel say. He looked up to see the archangel looking back at him. He’d been so focused on the temperature that he hadn’t realized he had stopped moving.

“S-Sorry… j-just… c-cold…,” Rich gritted between his teeth. He followed the two beings before him, then stopped between them in the very center of the glowing pool of light.

“Close your eyes and just breathe. Let the portal do its thing,” Gabriel said softly. He tilted his head back and let his body relax, eyes fluttering shut. Loki did the same on Rich’s other side.

Rich watched as the substance started to swirl around his lovers’ legs, the light increasing in intensity. It slowly worked its way up their bodies, wrapping around them securely. Neither moved nor made any sign that it was bothering them, so Rich decided to do as he’d been told.

He took a deep breath, let it out slowly, then closed his eyelids. He let his body relax and focused on the sounds of the portal. He inhaled the sweet scent of honeysuckle. It made him think of his birthplace, and he wondered if Gabriel or Loki smelled it too, or if they had detected a scent that was familiar only to them.

As his mind wandered, he noticed the cool sensation of the pool’s liquid gliding slowly up his thighs and over his hips. It felt nice, actually, and almost made him drowsy. It wound its way around his abdomen and chest, down his arms, then finally up his neck. When it covered his mouth and nose, he discovered that he could still breathe, and that the “air” was pure and clean. Once his head was completely enveloped, he slowly opened his eyes.

All around him, as far as he could see, he saw the same matter that had been inside the portal. It was like he was inside a sea made up of the stuff, and he noticed that he was still between Gabriel and Loki. He tried to speak, and though he could still breathe just fine, it seemed that sound did not carry through here. He turned and looked at Gabriel, who lifted a hand in question to see if he was fine. Rich gave him a thumbs-up in answer.

They seemed to be floating, and Rich was wondering what was going to happen next. Just as he was going to turn to look at Loki to try to see if he could get some kind of idea of what they were supposed to be waiting for, he felt a strong tug beneath his feet.

But it was only _his_ feet.

He started to go down and looked up in alarm, opening his mouth to shout for help, yet again no sound escaped. He saw Loki and Gabriel jerk their faces at his descending body in shock, and he stretched his hands up towards them, kicking his feet against the force that had seized him. They flipped their bodies heads-down, reaching for him, straining with their outstretched arms, trying to grab him desperately. He felt their fingers brush against his and try to hold onto him, but the liquid they were in was slippery, and they just slid uselessly over them. He saw their fearful faces as they fought to grasp his hands again and again, but it was all in vain. He was pulled further and further away, and the last thing he saw before he felt darkness consume his consciousness was Gabriel’s horrified face, his mouth open as he screamed soundlessly.

 

* * *

 

The next thing Rich was aware of was the sound of a door opening and closing, and he jerked against the noise. Then he noticed he was being carried in a pair of arms. He heard footsteps beneath him as he was taken across a room and gently laid upon a soft surface. A bed most likely, judging by the soft sound of creaking springs. A blanket was pulled up over him, then he heard a sigh and retreating footsteps before a door opened and closed once more.

He had heard that sigh before, many times in fact.

He tried to move, then moaned. He _hurt_. What had happened to him? He tried to remember. The moon… gliding behind Gabriel and Loki… the portal… The portal!

He sat up, gritting his teeth at the pain that shot through his body. He took a moment to work through it, then opened his eyes. He was in a dark room, the only light coming from a small lamp that was set on a table in a far corner. The bed he lay upon was against the middle of the wall to the right of the door, and there was a green, leather-backed couch against the other wall across from the door. He twisted his face in confusion.

This room... It was very familiar. It was set up slightly different, but... He looked down at the bed, running his hand along the covers. He’d been in this room before, and on this very bed, thanks to a certain blue-eyed actor.

He raised his head. _No, no way…_ , he thought.

He winced as recent memories of what happened to him flashed through his mind: the panicked faces of his lovers, being pulled away from them, struggling to reach them, Gabriel’s look of terror as he was dragged away...

He shook his head and covered his face with trembling hands. He was in the fictional world, and he was alone, and someone had found him and brought him to a room that he hadn’t been to in four years.

What the hell was going on?

Where were they?

 

* * *

 

Gabriel continued to scream Rich’s name soundlessly down in the direction of where he had vanished, feeling nearly overwhelmed with fear and helplessness. It couldn’t be! Not when they’d all just found each other, confessed their love to one another! His arms were still reaching out towards where he had last seen him, willing for him to appear again, willing for his hand to grasp onto his so he could save him…

Arms wrapped around his torso and turned him upright. Gentle hands then settled upon either side of his face, but Gabriel shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut, continuing to scream and beg silently as he struggled. No! He had to save him!

He froze when lips closed over his. He opened his eyes and stared into the pain-filled gaze of Loki’s. Slowly, the trickster lay his forehead against his own, and Gabriel sighed against his mouth, opening his mind to him.

 _Shh…_ Loki’s voice whispered inside his head.

_Loki, I-I can’t-_

Loki wrapped himself around Grabiel and pressed his lips and face harder against him.

_I’m here. Stay with me. We’ll find him. Shh, my angel…_

Gabriel gripped the back of Loki’s suit jacket and twisted the fabric in his fists.

_I’m scared…_

_Me too, Angel, but we need to be strong. For him._

Gabriel kissed him desperately. He needed to know that Loki was there, _really_ there, and Loki returned it, offering his angel comfort through the sweet kiss, letting him know he wasn't alone and that he’d never leave his side.

Never again.

When they pulled apart, Gabriel rubbed his head against Loki’s and shuddered as he felt something shift around them.

_I feel it. We’re about to be pulled through._

_Hold tightly to me, Angel. Don’t let go._

_I love you._

_And I you._

They clutched their arms and legs around each other as they were yanked sideways through the slippery ocean of the portal. Light suffused their forms once more, then everything stopped and they found themselves standing in the middle of an alleyway.

They both immediately collapsed to their knees in front of each other, breathing harshly from the unusually taxing transition. Their arms tightened even more around the other, and Loki felt Gabriel start to shake.

“Angel?” he whispered.

Gabriel shook his head. “I’m OK. Just need a second. Trying to feel him…”

Loki roved his eyes up and down the sides of the buildings that surrounded them. They were old and made of concrete, covered in cracks and dirt. There were large green garbage bins placed near doorways, and the asphalt beneath their feet was dirty and full of potholes.

Gabriel moaned and laid his head against Loki’s shoulder. “I can’t find him, Loki. It doesn’t work the same here,” he said, his voice full of anguish.

“We’ll have to search for him another way is all,” Loki said, raising himself and the archangel to their feet. He looked up and down the alleyway. “I don’t recognize where we are. Do you?”

“I’m not sure. Could be anywhere, really,” Gabriel replied. He sighed despondently. “How are we gonna find him? He could be anywhere, Loki.” The archangel’s eyes started to water.

Loki rubbed his knuckles with his thumb. “Let’s go to her, first. Maybe she can help,” he said, trying to keep him calm.

Gabriel wiped his eyes with the back of his other hand. “We weren’t supposed to go without him. Maybe only one of us should go, in case-”

“You know going alone is extremely dangerous.”

“But Loki,” Gabriel said, tears filling his eyes. “If he’s hurt…”

“He’ll be fine. i’m sure the Guardian is already aware he’s here. She doesn’t miss anything.”

“Do you think if he called out to her that she’d help him?”

Loki pressed his lips together.

“Shit, Loki, we should’ve mentioned that to him!”

Loki felt the frustration over their situation bubble over. “Well why should we have? It’s not as if she’s known for answering _us_ now, is she?!”

“That’s different! You know the reason why when it comes to us!”

“Tell me something I don’t know!”

They stared at one another, each hurt and upset.

“I’m sorry,” Gabriel finally said. This was getting them nowhere.

Loki closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then nodded. He held his arms open, and Gabriel quickly entered them, sighing against his chest. “He’ll be OK, Angel. We just have to go as quickly as we can,” the god said against his hair.

“I know,” Gabriel said. “I just wish that this wasn’t happening is all.”

“Neither do I, but wishing it to be gone isn’t helping our human.” He pulled back and looked into Gabriel’s face. “Let’s figure out where we are and go.”

 

* * *

 

Rich needed to go to the bathroom, which surprised the hell out of him. He didn’t know _why_ it did; Loki had gotten hungry in his world, so why would it be any different for him to have normal bodily functions here?

The thought of being hungry made his thoughts pause. What would he do if he got hungry? He couldn’t pull a Loki and just have food appear in his hands! Shit! Would he starve to death?

He shook himself before he started to panic. _One thing at a time, Speight_ , he told himself. He eased himself out of bed and walked slowly to the bathroom, clenching his teeth with each step. He wished he knew why he was so sore! He felt like he’d been hit by a bus!

He was glad to see that his body worked the way it should when he was in the bathroom, and after cleaning up, he turned around to head back to bed.

He opened the bathroom’s door and froze.

A person was standing with their back to them, one hand on their hip, holding a greasy bag of what looked like fast food in the other. He had short hair and was wearing a brown jacket and khaki pants.

Rich tilted his head.

Wait a second…

Having heard him open the bathroom door, the person turned, and Rich took a step back in to the bathroom and quickly slammed the door shut. He turned and slid against it, sitting heavily to the floor.

“Shit, shit, shit!” he whispered.

There was a soft knock, and the person’s voice came through. “Uh, wasn’t quite the reaction I was expecting. You OK in there?”

Rich covered his mouth with both his hands. He’d forgotten about him! _How_ could he have forgotten about him?!

There was another knock, this time more urgent. “Is something wrong? I checked you over. Did you hurt yourself?”

Rich shook his head, then remembered that he couldn’t see him.

He uncovered his mouth and tried to speak, but it came out sounding hoarse and harsh, and he cleared his throat and tried again. “N-No, I’m fine. Just, um, give me a few moments, yeah?”

There was a pause, and Rich wondered if the door behind him was going to be yanked open despite his answer. He tensed his shoulders and waited.

“OK, if you say so. I’ll just pop a squat out here. Got you something to chew on. Figured you’d be hungry.”

“Uh, yeah, thanks. That’ll be great,” Rich said.

“Sure thing.”

He heard dull thuds on the carpet as they walked away, and he just stared straight ahead, unseeing. His brain was wanting to shut itself off, and he was _so_ tempted to just let it, but what good would that do? He needed to find his boys…

He jerked forward, hissing under his breath at the dull pain from the quick movement. He waited as it slowly faded away, then refocused his thoughts.

Would he help him? _Could_ he help him?

Or would it be too much to ask because they were basically strangers?

Rich rubbed his temples with his fingers. This was too much for him to think about right now. He only knew that his lovers would be looking for him, and he had to do his best to find them as well. They had to go to this “she” _together_. He would just have to muddle through for the time being.

He looked around the bathroom then sighed; might as well get this over with.

He stood slowly, using the door behind him for support. His legs had decided that they wanted to turn into jelly, and sitting on the floor had made him start to hurt even worse. He ran a hand down his face, frowned, then did it again.

He hadn’t looked into the mirror over the sink when he had quickly washed his hands, wanting to get back to bed as quickly as possible because of the soreness in his body. He carefully walked the few steps towards the sink and looked up at his reflection, and was surprised to see that the fine stubble that had been on his face prior to going to the moon had now become a bit more pronounced.

How long exactly had he been here?

He took a deep breath to center himself, then turned to make his way back to the door so he could open it slowly.

He saw him sitting on the couch, looking down at his hands in his lap and twiddling his thumbs. His legs were crossed and he was bouncing his foot back and forth rhythmically. When he noticed that Rich had entered the room he smiled.

“Wondered when you were gonna come out! You hungry?” he said, then reached to his side to raise the bag of food he had brought. “It might be a bit cold, but I can warm it up in a snap.” He raised his hand, placing his fingers together to perform the act.

Rich leaned heavily against the doorframe of the bathroom, his legs starting to give up on him. He suddenly felt hands grasp his arms in a steady grip, and he jerked his head to discover that he was no longer alone in the doorway.

“Woah there, don’t fall,” the person said. He smiled at first, then his eyes filled with puzzlement. “But I don’t understand. You shouldn’t be feeling this way.”

He led him to the bed, helped him sit down on its edge, then stood by the couch.

“Are you sure you aren’t hurting anywhere?”

Rich held out his hand. “Just give me the food. I think I’m just suffering from low blood sugar.”

“If I try to read your mind, would I discover that you’re lying or telling the truth?”

“What would _you_ know about the truth?” Rich snapped, then instantly regretted it when he saw anger flash in the other’s eyes.

“That’s not how I really am, and you know it,” they gritted out.

“Sorry. I-I’ve a lot on my mind,” Rich said, and pulled his hand back towards himself. He lifted his other hand and stared at his palms. “I’m lost,” he whispered.

There was silence, and all that could be heard was the ticking of an old-fashioned clock on the bedside table. It seemed to go on for just a moment too long, and Rich was about to scream when the other broke it.

“How are you lost, Rich?”

He looked up into amber eyes that matched his own, and felt his heart ache because they weren’t the amber eyes he longed to see.

“I’m always lost when I’m apart from them, Gabriel.”

“So you’re willing to call me by my actual given name? A lot of people don’t.”

“Well, I guess I could call you ‘Meta-Gabriel.’ I believe that’s what a lot of fans call you,” Rich replied. He couldn’t help but smile when the angel across from him made a face.

“Well that’s new information to me. That’s a horrible name,” he said.

“Then what do you suggest I call you?” Rich asked.

He stroked his chin in thought. “How about ‘His Royal Finest’? Has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?”

“I am NOT calling you that,” Rich said, glaring at him. He pointed to the fast food bag that still lay on the couch. “Can I have that now?”

“Oh yeah, sure, my bad.” He picked it up, snapped his fingers to warm its contents, then handed it over. “I don’t have too much grace to burn, but I do what I can. So,“ he leveled a look at Rich, “What do _you_ suggest I go by, Mr. Stick-in-the-mud?”

Rich opened the bag and felt his stomach growl when the smell of burger and fries hit him. He reached inside and unwrapped the burger and looked it over. “How about MG?” he asked, noticing how the burger resembled a certain fast food chain’s famous double all-beef patty specialty.

“You’re reducing my name down to an acronym?” the angel across from him said in disbelief.

“If you only knew where I got the idea from,” Rich said. He sighed sadly as he sat the burger down in his lap. “Uh, I can’t eat this.”

MG raised an eyebrow. “Why? You a vegetarian or something? Should I go get you a salad?”

“Uh, no. I just can’t have regular bread and dairy, is all,” Rich said. He looked somberly at the food in his lap. It looked so good, too.

MG reached a hand forward and tapped it lightly with a finger. “There, now it’s that gluten-free stuff or whatever it’s called, and no liquid moo-moo.” He leaned back and smiled as Rich picked up the now “safe” burger and took a hungry bite. “All better?”

Nodding, Rich chewed and swallowed. “Thanks,” he said, then looked around. “Uh, I think you forgot something.” MG looked confused, but when Rich mimed holding a cup to his lips, he popped the palm of his hand against his forehead. “Duh! Sorry. I just eat snacks when I get a hankering for them, but never really worry about the liquid stuff.” He snapped his fingers and a soft drink appeared on the bedside table next to the clock. “Hope you like cola.”

“Works for me.” He picked up the drink and took a few swallows from the straw that was stuck in the plastic lid. “Thanks.”

“So, you gonna tell me or not?”

Rich placed the drink back down along with his half-eaten meal. “Tell me how long I’ve been here, first.”

“I found you lying in a cemetery north of here a week ago. I thought I was seeing things, but once I heard you mumble something about the moon, and the fact that you felt solid under my shoe,” he ignored Rich’s scowl, “I knew that you were real.”

“And where was I the week before you brought me here?” Rich said, popping a fry into his mouth and doing his best to keep his temper in check. He’d probably poked him with his foot more than once to check if was he real.

“On our way here. Like I said, my grace is limited. I can make small hops, but long distances burn me out faster than a guy’s first time.”

Rich blinked at the analogy, then shrugged. “Fair enough. So, I’m guessing you thought I was hurt in the cemetery?”

“Well, you wouldn’t wake up. I thought you had a concussion. You looked like you’d been through hell, ya know. Still do in fact...” MG sat and tapped his hand on the arm of the couch. “Care to fill me in on what exactly happened now?”

“It’s a long story.”

“I like long stories. I know thousands of them, to be precise. Hearing another is no biggie to me.”

The human sighed, then launched into his tale.

 

* * *

 

“I don’t understand why she made it so difficult to get to the entrance!” Gabriel complained. He slipped on a patch of ice and fell to his knees for the umpteeth time in less than ten minutes. “And this stupid warding making us human as well! I hate hurting like this!”

Loki turned and offered his hand to help him stand. “You know why: to keep people from wasting her precious time. Be glad that we were at least able to get the proper clothing that we needed. We would’ve frozen and literally disappeared forever otherwise.” He checked Gabriel’s hands, glad to see that the thick gloves he wore were still intact. “Are your knees OK? You told me that you felt like they were cut up.”

“I’ll live. A little blood won’t kill me.”

“ _Please_ watch where you step,” Loki said, rubbing his angel’s palms gently. Gabriel’s eyes softened, and he nodded.

“I’ll try harder, Sugar. Promise.”

Loki turned and squinted his eyes. “We’re making good time so far today.” He faced Gabriel and adjusted his clothing, then checked the rope that kept them tethered together. “If Rich ever gets it in his head to climb the _real_ Mount Everest, I’ll spank him until his ass glows.”

Gabriel narrowed his eyes. “Stand in line,” he said. He looked further up the mountain at the snow and rocks. “If all three of us were here, I wouldn’t complain as much I think. Hell, it might even be fun at night. We could keep each other a bit warmer, with an extra body.”

Loki laughed softly. “You’d actually try something wouldn’t you?”

“Just little things,” Gabriel said, shrugging nonchalantly.

Loki shook his head in amusement, then turned back so they could start trekking their way up the mountain once more.

They made slow but steady progress, with Gabriel only stumbling and sliding to his knees occasionally. He still cursed and whined and complained, but through it all Loki was patient and offered words of encouragement. He had to be strong for his angel. Strong for his human. He was just as worried, of course, but he felt that he needed to be the rock for all of them.

He would have his meltdown later, in private. Gabriel didn’t need to worry about him, too.

It would take at least six weeks total to reach the Summit, and they had been traveling for a week already. He only hoped he would be able to keep it together the rest of the way.

They reached a stopping point at dusk. The temperature quickly dropped, and Loki decided that they needed to set up the camp equipment that they had brought. Gabriel wanted to keep going just a little further, like he did every night, but Loki steadfastly refused.

“We’ll freeze to death, Angel,” he said calmly, trying to reason with him.

“But we need to get there as fast as we can! What if he’s hurt? Or worse? He could be starving!” Gabriel’s voice rose as he kept speaking. “Loki! We should’ve prepared him more! I _promised_ him that we’d keep him safe, and now look what happened! I failed him!” His eyes started to well up with tears. His lamentations tonight were the worst yet.

Loki felt his lips tremble at the sound of his angel’s voice. He placed his hands on either side of his head against the warm face buff* he wore. “You didn’t fail him. You didn't know that this would happen. No human’s ever come here before.”

Gabriel nodded and took a deep breath. “I-I just want him back with us. It hurts, right here.” He poked at the center of his chest. “It hurts so bad, Loki.”

“I know, I feel it too.” Loki grit his teeth as the pain in his own chest throbbed to an all-time high at seeing Gabriel so distraught. He hated feeling so helpless!

“I’m so tired, Loki,” Gabriel sighed. He leaned against him, fighting back a yawn.

“Come on, let’s set up camp, get some rest. We’ve still got a long way to go.”

 

* * *

 

MG sat with his mouth hanging open somewhere around his knees. He stared at the human sitting in front of him on the bed. “What the what?” was all he could manage to say.

Rich placed the rest of his uneaten burger and fries back into the bag; he’d lost his appetite and the food had gotten cold again. “That was my reaction at first too, so I guess you’re taking it as well as I did,” he said.

“And you said he hid in mirrors?” MG looked thoughtful. “Huh...”

“Yeah, why?” Rich asked, finishing up his drink. He looked around the room for a trash can and got up to toss it and the bag. He took two steps before his face was contorted with pain.

“WHY do you keep acting like you’re hurt? Tell me where it’s coming from,” MG demanded. He stood and placed a hand on Rich’s arm, and the human felt the familiar tingle of grace flow through his body. He waited for the pain to recede, but when it didn’t, he sighed and pulled his arm from the angel’s grasp.

The angel looked at his palm strangely. “What the hell?” he said, completely confused. “You don’t have any injuries at all!”

Rich didn’t know what to say, and decided to continue with what he’d been doing. He slowly made his way over to the trash can and chunked the empty cup and leftover food, but his knees gave way when he turned back around. As the floor rushed up to meet him he squeezed his eyes shut, preparing himself for impact. When none came, he opened his eyes and saw that MG had caught him.

The angel took him back to bed and laid him down, covering him with the blanket. “From now on, no moving unless I’m nearby, capiche?” MG said, and sat on the couch.

Rich turned his head and looked at him. “Are you grounding me to the bed?” he glowered.

MG crossed his arms. “If keeping you from hurting yourself is ‘grounding’, then yes. I don’t want your boyfriends kicking my ass when they find you.”

Rich looked at him for a moment, the stern expression on the angel’s face reminding him of the ones he was missing, the ones who were undoubtedly looking for him, the ones who had searched him out in the first place. He then blinked at MG as something occurred to him, and then, realizing that he’d been staring, he turned over onto his side away from him and mumbled, “Uh, yeah. You’ve a point.”

He heard a chuckle. “What was that all about?”

Rich pulled the blanket tighter around him. “Nothing. Going to sleep now.”

He heard MG shift on the couch. “I’m not gonna shut up until you tell me. You know I can talk forever.”

Rich sighed and rolled back over. “Why didn’t you come see me?” he blurted out in a rush.

MG cocked his head at him. “I did.”

Rich sat up. “No you didn’t! I never saw you! You’re kinda hard to miss.”

MG looked at him like he’d lost his mind. “You’re not _supposed_ to see me.” He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “I’m still trying to understand why your Gabriel did what he did, and how Loki got involved as well.”

“What do you mean that I wasn’t supposed to see you? What am I missing here?” Rich asked. He felt something heavy form in the pit of his stomach.

“We always go to visit our alter-egos, the actors who perform as us, in the real world, especially after we ‘die.’ It’s how it’s always been done. But there are rules: we don’t show ourselves, we don’t get involved. It’s a way for us to observe how you live, see what you’re like, maybe hopefully see and learn how we were created and formed by them. It’s supposed to be a life-changing experience for us, and it’s no different than you guys seeing and learning how we’re like when you watch us on your television or movie screens, or even read about us.” MG folded his hands and looked down at them, tilting his head slightly. “The mirror thing, though, I didn’t know that we could do that. Makes sense, actually, since we’re all basically ‘reflections’ of each other.”

Rich shook his head. “But Gabriel, he said… He said he wanted to have ‘fun’ that first time, then I, he…” Rich trailed off.

MG raised his eyes and gave him a lopsided grin. “You didn’t mention what this ‘fun’ was, by the way.” When Rich gave him an exasperated look, the angel shrugged. “Fine, but you know I’m pretty good at using my imagination either way.” He then smirked. “And as to Gabriel? Have you ever known him, or _me_ , to play by the rules?”

Rich was quiet for a moment, then pinched the bridge of his nose. “I don’t understand. So him breaking the rules, it caused all this? I swear, all this shit constantly makes my head hurt.”

MG pursed his lips in thought. “Breaking a major rule like that, it might’ve started off a chain reaction of sorts, perhaps. But this thing between you three?” MG looked up at the ceiling. “Maybe something else had a hand in it too.”

Rich followed his gaze. “Don’t tell me that the Chuck of this world has powers that can do things like that.”

MG burst out laughing. “ _Him?_ No no no, my young padawan. There are things that exist that are more powerful than you can imagine out there.”

“How do they work?”

“I can’t really tell you exactly, but I do know someone who does.”

Rich lowered his eyes to look at him expectantly. “And this someone would be?”

MG’s eyes twinkled. “We call her ‘Boss,’ and knowing her, she’s already looking into you guys.”

“How do you know that?”

“She doesn’t miss much, and that’s all I’m gonna say.”

 

* * *

 

Loki and Gabriel crawled into the tent, and Loki helped settle Gabriel under the sleeping bag. “Here, eat this,” he said, handing him one of their rations. He had also set up one of their small butane stoves a few feet from their tent and melted some glacier ice after purifying it. He offered a cup of the melted water to Gabriel.

“I’ll be right back. Going to check the tethers of the tent, melt a little more water,” he told Gabriel after a few bites of an energy bar.

“Hurry, Sugar,” Gabriel said, sipping his water and placing another sleeping bag over the one they would be sharing.

Loki caressed his neck through his buff, then pulled his hood over his head. He crawled to the entrance of the tent and exited quickly. He stood and went to put more ice chips into the small pot on the stove to melt, then checked the ties of the tent. He looked around their camp site, then zeroed in on a large outcrop of rock just a few strides away, noticing that if he were to stand just so, he would be out of the wind.

He listened for any sounds from Gabriel inside the tent, then walked towards the rock. He stood there for a moment, then ground his teeth as he started to breathe quickly in and out. He felt tears gather in the corner of his eyes, and he squeezed them shut to keep them from freezing to his skin. He crouched and pressed his face against his knees, opening his mouth as he screamed through the cloth of his buff into the layers of clothing that covered his legs. The sound was muffled, and he continued wailing his rage and grief and guilt and pain until his throat was nearly raw.

He lifted his face, keeping his eyes firmly shut; he knew that they were red with unshed tears. Taking ragged breaths, he calmed himself down, and allowed the tears to slowly trickle down his cheeks under the UV glasses he wore and into the cloth that covered most of his face. Some of the salty moisture stuck, but he decided he just didn’t care. He pried his eyes open against the small ice crystals that stuck to his lashes, staring at the rock in front of him. He wanted to punch it until his fists bled, but he couldn’t, not here, not now. He flexed his hands in his gloves, wanting to curse the environment he was in at the moment.

He turned and trudged his way through the snow and wind back towards the tent, stopping to turn the stove off and picking up the water. Since it cooled super quickly in the current environment, he immediately carried it into the tent to his angel.

“You took longer than I thought you would,” Gabriel said, reaching to take the water from him once he crawled inside and sat next to him. He looked at his face, his expression becoming one of concern as Loki lowered his buff. “Loki? Sugar? You look pale.” He gasped when the trickster god took off his glasses. “You OK?”

“It’s nothing,” Loki said, removing his boots and his snow-covered coat and outer layer pair of pants before tucking himself into the sleeping bag next to Gabriel. He finished the rest of his energy bar and opened another. “Just got some grit in my eyes is all.”

Gabriel placed the water to the side. “Loki… It’s _me_ you’re talking to,” he said, then reached over to touch the back of his gloved fingers against the side of Loki’s face, rubbing the thin stubble that matched what had started to grow on his own cheeks softly. “Do you need to tal-”

“I said it’s nothing, Gabriel!” Loki snapped, then sighed when the archangel flinched and snatched his hand away. “I-I’m just tired,” he said, and swallowed the rest of the second energy bar.

Gabriel handed him the water, then watched as his trickster drank slowly. “I know that you’re trying to be strong for me, Loki,” he said.

Loki took the drink from his lips and looked at him.

“But I can be strong for you, too,” Gabriel said. He leaned forward and crushed his lips to his, and Loki quickly set the water aside. He wrapped his arms around his angel and held him close as he returned the kiss.

They parted and breathed against each other's lips. “I want to take you, but...” Loki whispered, staring into Gabriel’s eyes.

Gabriel moaned. “I know. Damn this mountain.”

 

* * *

 

Rich’s condition became worse. MG had to make sure he ate and drank, and would shake him awake when he would scream in his sleep from night terrors. Whenever he awoke, his chest felt like it was going to explode, and he would cry out for Gabriel and Loki until tears streamed down his face.

He stubbornly refused to allow MG to help him bathe or assist him in the bathroom, and the angel would wait nervously outside, listening for any sign of distress from the human.

It turned out to be a good precaution. After taking a bath a couple weeks after waking up in the motel room, he slipped and fell hard onto the edge of the tub while putting on his bathrobe. He felt something in his side crack sickeningly and shrieked in agony, then rolled onto the floor. He curled into a ball and started to weep, feeling totally useless and allowed his loneliness to overwhelm him along with the pain.

The bathroom door slammed open, and MG kneeled at his side. “Rich! Dammit! Hold on!” He lay a gentle hand upon his side, and even though the pain faded away instantly, Rich continued to sob.

“Alright, you can’t just stay here on the floor. Back to bed, buddy,” MG said. He carefully picked him up and walked him to his bed.

“No more bathing alone for you from now on looks like,” MG said in a light tone. He watched Rich for a moment, then turned. “If you need me to give you some time-”

“No!” Rich said, his voice thick with tears. He saw MG turn around questioningly. “I mean, please stay. I’m… I’m scared to be by myself.” He rubbed his hands against his tear-blotched face anxiously.

MG sat on the couch. “If it makes you feel better, I will. But I’m serious: from now on, Nurse MG is on duty twenty-four-seven, understood?”

Rich nodded. “O-OK.”

He relaxed on the bed, his tears slowly abating as he thought quietly to himself. He wondered if his boys were asking others to help them. He knew only people like them and MG could see him, but could they ask for help from others with special abilities? Send out inquiries asking for any and all information like the Winchesters did? Broadcast it on all frequencies like-

“MG!” he said, shooting up in bed and surprising the archangel.

“What?!” MG said, nearly leaping to his feet. “Damn, if I’d been human I would've pissed myself! What the hell?!”

Rich ignored him. “Angel Radio! Use Angel Radio!” he said urgently. His hopes were dashed when MG smiled sadly.

“I did that as soon as you told me how you got here. No dice.” He watched Rich flop back onto the bed, crestfallen. “I should’ve told you already, but you’ve been so sick…”

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it. Thanks for trying anyway,” Rich said in a monotone voice.

MG sighed and closed his eyes. “I could ask for the Boss to help. She could-”

“How many times do I have to tell you? I won’t go until Gabriel and Loki find me,” Rich said, turning away from him.

“Rich, it would be easier-”

“Just leave me alone.”

 

* * *

 

The next few weeks dragged by. Rich refused to talk, and the only sounds he made were those of ever increasing pain. MG took care of him, and Rich allowed him to do so without complaint. When he used the bathroom or bathed, MG kept his back to him until he finished, and would keep his eyes closed as he held a towel for him and helped him from the tub.

But at night, the angel heard him cry into his pillow. He wouldn’t say anything, and never mentioned it in the mornings. Rich deserved his dignity in that.

The morning when Rich had been in the motel room for a little over a month, he woke up feeling like his chest was in a vice. Searing hot spikes of pain shot up and down his sternum, and it was all he could do to suck air into his lungs. He wailed in agony and kicked and twisted on the bed.

A warm hand pressed against his chest, and he flinched back at the touch. “No… don’t,” he gasped. He opened his eyes and they were wet with tears. He saw the blurred outline of MG leaning over him.

“Shit, Rich, we really need to get you to see the Boss lickity-split, whether you want to or not!” he said, worry evident in his tone. He braced a hand under Rich’s back and helped him to sit up, ignoring the man’s flailing limbs. He then scooped him into his arms and lifted him from the bed.

Rich thrashed in his hold. “N-No, need to wait, go with Gabriel, Loki…” Rich mumbled. A flash of what felt like fire shot through his chest and he arched in MG’s arms, screaming through gritted teeth, the veins on his neck standing out on his skin. He then collapsed and sobbed the names of his angel and trickster brokenly.

MG looked down at him anxiously and thinned his lips. “Rich, we _have_ to go. I think you’re dying…”

The human in his arms gasped for air and shook his head. “Not… without… them…” he protested. He turned eyes glazed with pain to the angel. “Please,” he begged. “Please…” His eyes then rolled up into his head, his body going limp as he passed out cold.

“You son of a bitch,” MG said, raising his eyes to the ceiling. “You just _had_ to go and do that, didn’t you?”

 

* * *

 

During the remaining time it took them to reach their destination, Loki kept mum about what had happened outside the tent that night, and Gabriel didn’t press him about it. The archangel decided to become more affectionate towards him, whispering sweet nothings into his ear until he felt him drift off to sleep in his arms. He would watch until his own eyes grew heavy and closed, following him into slumber.

He loved his grumpy, stubborn trickster god so much, and he wanted their human back so that they could all feel whole once more.

When the entrance to the Summit came into view, Gabriel could’ve wept. Finally! He was so sick and tired of snow, rocks, wind, the infernal cold! And energy bars, boiled water that tasted slightly of chemicals, sleeping in layers of clothing that made him sweat. He and Loki smelled pretty ripe, and he had decided that he wasn’t going to use grace to cleanse himself; he wanted an actual bath, complete with bubbles! And he wanted to get rid of this scratchy beard, too!

“Last one there gets no sweets for a week!” Gabriel said cheerfully, taking off at a sorta-fast trudging walk towards the opening (there was no way either of them could run at this high of an altitude). He had started advancing before the words had finished leaving his mouth, and smirked as he heard Loki curse and growl behind him for his cheating head start.

Gabriel slapped his gloved palm next to the rock at the entrance, shouting, “I win!” and turned to look at his lover, who was just a handful of steps behind him. Loki was annoyed with him, but his eyes betrayed how relieved he was that their trek was finally over.

Loki gestured towards the opening and bowed slightly. “After you, my angel.”

Gabriel winked at him and purred, “Well, aren’t you a gentleman.”

Loki tilted his head in acknowledgement. “So I’ve been told.”

Laughing softly, Gabriel stepped just inside the entrance then held a hand out behind him. When he felt Loki clasp it, they both walked single file into the opening.

As soon as they had taken several steps, they both felt the warding that had blanketed them for weeks lessen slightly. Their steps faltered and Gabriel turned around to look at Loki over his shoulder.

“Did you?” he asked.

“Yes,” Loki answered.

“That’s a positive sign, I guess,” Gabriel said. He faced forward and increased their pace down the tunnel. “Ugh, I hate feeling this way.”

“I know,” Loki said.

“It’s icky.”

“I know.”

“And it makes my wings itch.”

Loki sighed. “I know, Angel.”

The tunnel started to narrow and before long they stood before a wooden door. Gabriel went to pull it open, but Loki jerked him back by his hand. Gabriel looked at him questioningly.

“You know better,” Loki frowned at him. He stepped in front of the archangel and ran his eyes up and down the door, then hovered his hand over the lock, letting what little magic he was able to expend check for any sign of hidden traps or spells.

His breath was suddenly punched out of him when he went flying backwards, dragging Gabriel with him. They landed in a heap several feet from the door, which then flew open and flooded the corridor with light.

“About damn time you got here,” a voice echoed into the tunnel.

Gabriel groaned and sat up, blinking against the light. He heard Loki mumble a few choice curses from the ground beside him then pull himself up as well.

A figure walked forward, their features hidden in shadow from the brightness behind them. As they got closer, Gabriel’s eyes grew wider and wider, and he reached over to grab Loki’s arm.

“What the holy fuck?!” he demanded.

The figure bent down and gave a familiar smirk to both of the beings still partially sprawled on the ground.

“Hey fellas. I think I have something that belongs to you.”


	2. There You Are

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for taking almost two months to update. I had to write ahead a fair bit for continuity's sake.
> 
> For all who are following, thank you so much! I hope you are enjoying this wild and crazy journey as much as I am!

 

 

 

 

 

“YOU’RE here?! Why?” Gabriel demanded, jumping to his feet. He was seething.

The person in front of him tilted their head to the side. “Nice to see you, too.” They looked over at Loki as he, too, stood. “Loki,” they said, nodding.

“Gabri-”

“NO! Do NOT call him that!” Gabriel shouted.

Loki darted his eyes to him, then back to the angel in front of them. “Hello,” he finally said.

He shrugged then turned towards the door. “Like I said, I think I have something that belongs to you.”

Loki started to follow, but was stopped by Gabriel’s hand around his elbow. “Wait,” he heard the archangel say.

“Gabriel…”

“I’m sorry. It’s just-”

“Hey! You guys gonna stand there and jibber-jabber all day? Get a move on!” He turned and saw the angel’s silhouette walk through the door and out of sight.

Loki lay a hand over Gabriel’s. “Let’s go do what we came all this way for, THEN worry about everything else.”

Loki squeezed Gabriel's hand and they both made their way to the door. They entered, removing their buffs and goggles from their faces.

It opened into a cavernous room of stone. The walls glistened with silver streaks, and a soft white light shone from the ceiling. Their footsteps echoed along the smooth floor as they made their way further inside, and Loki noticed several alcoves that seemed to lead into other rooms that branched off from one long pathway.

“Do we keep going straight?” Gabriel said, noticing the alcoves as well. He was just about to go investigate the nearest one when the angel’s head popped out of one several feet ahead.

“Over here slowpokes!” he said, waving his arm. Gabriel mumbled a few choice words, but Loki pulled him along quickly.

They entered the alcove, and Gabriel gasped at the sight of Rich lying in a bed in the middle of the room. He ran over quickly, stripping his gloves from his hands and throwing them to the floor. He fell to his knees beside the bed and grasped his human’s hands, looking at his pale face, half-noticing that Rich had also grown a thin layer of facial hair during their time apart.

He looked up and asked, “What happened? Is he OK?”

“He’s a lot better than he was a couple weeks ago,” the angel by the doorway said.

Loki shed his own gloves and went to stand by the bed near Rich’s head to run his fingers through his hair. “Tell us everything.”

“Boss says we have to wait.”

Gabriel swallowed. “Can you at least tell us how long he’s been like this? Is it a coma?”

“He’s been like this for a while, but as to it being a coma? Boss thinks that his body threw him into one to protect him, not to hurt him. And she’s hoping that he wakes soon.”

Loki squeezed Gabriel’s shoulder when the archangel whimpered. “Keep it together, Angel.”

“Yeah,” he choked out, bowing his head.

“So, what should we call you?” Loki asked the other person in the room. Gabriel stiffened but didn’t move.

“Well, he’s been calling me ‘MG’ for weeks now,” MG replied, half annoyed.

Gabriel raised his head slightly and snorted. “Has he now.”

“I’ve been called worse, I guess,” MG shrugged.

“Did you say ‘weeks’?” Loki asked, going over MG’s earlier words. “Just how long has Rich been in this place?”

“A couple weeks now.”

Gabriel frowned and looked at him. “I’m not following your timeframe here.”

“I found him about a month and a half ago, lying dazed and confused in a cemetery outside Ogden, Utah.” He then went on to explain everything that occurred after, including the mysterious pains Rich suffered through, then how he had cared for him and decided that he needed to come here when it became apparent that Rich was in serious need of intervention.

Loki and Gabriel shared a worried look. “These pains, when exactly did they start?” Loki asked.

“He was hurting as soon as he regained consciousness, about a week after I found him. Why?”

Gabriel brought Rich’s hand to his forehand and sighed. “We’ve had similar pains, and they started at the same time.”

MG looked between them. “I’m gonna go grab the Boss. I think it’s time you met her.” He quietly exited the room, leaving the archangel and trickster alone with the unconscious human.

Gabriel continued to hold Rich’s hand. “Rich, honey, we’re here. Just… Please wake up soon, OK? Open your eyes and smile for me.” He brought Rich’s hand to his lips and kissed his knuckles gently. “Please…”

“Gabriel.” Loki knelt next to him. “Gabriel, he’s alive.” He touched the side of his angel’s face, then placed his other hand upon the long beige shirt that covered Rich’s chest. “See, he’s breathing. We just have to wait-”

Tears fell from Gabriel’s eyes as he pressed his face into Loki’s chest. “I’ve been waiting for weeks, Loki! I want to hear him speak. I want to hear him rant and rave at me about any and everything. I’ve missed him!”

Loki lay his head against the top of his head and breathed into his hair. His own heart echoed with the same hurt and longing as the archangel's, and he gathered him into his arms. “I know. Me too,” he said.

 

* * *

 

 

MG made his way to the end of the pathway to a large ornate door. He then knocked three times and waited patiently until he heard a faint click before he pushed it inwards so he could poke his head inside.

“Uh, Boss?” he said.

Within the room, a woman with shoulder-length brunette hair and brown eyes sat at an antique cherrywood desk. “I know. Just a second.” She flicked her finger at an orb of lavender light before her and it levitated into the air and shot away into the Ether.

She stood and walked around the desk, and the alexandrite-studded gown she wore gleamed emerald and magenta in the light as she walked towards the door.

“Is he still angry with you?” she asked as they exited the room and made their way down the path.

MG shrugged. “I’m used to it.”

She turned to him. “You know that that’s not fair to you, especially after all you’ve done recently.”

“Boss, really, I’m OK.”

“Think on it.”

They reached the entrance to the alcove, and MG entered first after she gestured him to precede her. He stepped in quietly and saw Gabriel and Loki kneeling next to the bed, talking softly to each other.

“Hey guys?” he said, and he watched as they both turned their faces toward him. He saw that Gabriel’s eyes were red and his face was blotchy from crying. MG looked down, then motioned towards the room’s entrance. “Boss is here.”

When she entered, Gabriel turned slowly from his position on the floor and stood, his mouth open in shock. “Ellen Harvelle?”

Loki, who had paused in the act of getting up, glared. “What is this?” he asked suspiciously.

She smiled. “Just call me ‘Boss’, makes things easier.” She looked at Rich’s form on the bed, then turned her gaze to Loki.

“I know what you think of me, Trickster. I hope that I can put your mind at ease.”

Loki narrowed his eyes. “It’ll take a lot.”

“I’ll explain more once he wakes,” she said, turning her eyes to Gabriel.

“No, we need to know a few things first,” the archangel snapped. He heard Loki push himself to his feet and stand beside him. “How did he get here? We had to spend the last six weeks climbing a friggin’ mountain!”

MG looked at the Boss, who nodded. “Like I told you before, he was in pain, and it got to the point that he passed out. He begged me not to do anything until you guys were with him, but I could tell that something was seriously screwed up. I contacted the Boss for her help since we’ve never had an actual human in our world. She agreed and zip-a-dee-doo-dah’d us here, and not a moment too soon if you ask me.”

Gabriel ran his hands down his face. “Dammit.”

“So you’re friends?” Loki asked, motioning between MG and the Boss unfavorably.

“Well, she’s not called ‘Boss’ for nothin’. She’s a busy lady and I’m, um,” he looked hesitantly at the Boss, who gave him a small, encouraging smile, “well, let’s just say she’s there for me when I need her, and I help her out in return when she needs things taken care of. And,” he tapped his chin, “...well, she’s the one that gets my ass outta trouble with the natives when I get bored and pester them. My own automatic get-out-of-jail-free card.”

“Whatever,” Gabriel said, waving his hand dismissively. Loki and the Boss frowned at him, but Gabriel went on with his questioning. “After he got here, what happened?”

“He had fallen into a coma, and needed help, just like MG thought. The Ether here in this place helped to stabilize him, but he remained unconscious. It wasn't until you two started to get closer that he really started to improve,” the Boss answered.

Gabriel and Loki didn’t understand. “How?” the god asked.

“I’ll explain further once he’s awake.”

Loki glowered. “I know that you’ve been aware of his presence since he arrived. And I know that you could’ve brought us here to be with him the moment he got to this place! Why did you wait so long?” He stepped forward, his eyes narrowing in rage. “Tell me. I demand to know!”

“Like all beings, he has free will, and he has it regardless of what world he happens to be in. I wouldn’t force him to be anywhere he didn’t want to be. And as to you both coming here, I needed to confirm something, which I’ll explain to you later.”

Gabriel opened his mouth to argue, but she held her hand up to stop him. “For now, you two need to rest. You’ve had a physically, emotionally, and mentally challenging journey. I’m providing you with your own room-”

“No!” Gabriel said, backing away and standing closer by Rich’s bed. “I want to stay in here, next to him.” He looked at Loki, who nodded tersely in agreement.

She shook her head. “You’ll be in the space right across the path. You _need_ to have a good night’s sleep. Wash all the travel grime from you.” She stared right into their faces. “You know if you stay in here you won’t rest. What good will you do him if you exhaust yourselves?”

Loki looked into her eyes, fighting with himself. He wanted answers. Needed them. But it seemed she wouldn’t provide them no matter how much they argued. He sighed and reached out to squeeze Gabriel’s hand.

“She’s right. I don’t want to admit it, but she is. Let’s get some rest, Angel. We know he’s here, and he’s safe. That’s what matters right now.”

“I hate this,” Gabriel moaned, then nodded wearily. He slowly released Loki’s hand, then turned and bent down to kiss Rich gently on his brow. “We’ll be just across the way, my heart. See you soon.”

Gabriel moved aside for Loki, who reached down to run the backs of his fingers along the side of Rich’s face. “Get better, you. We’ve missed your laughter,” he said softly.

Gabriel felt a lump form in his throat at Loki’s words and entwined their fingers as they followed MG across the pathway into the room that the Boss had designated as their own for the time being.

 

* * *

 

 

“Here ya go, fellas: your own little bungalow,” MG said, sweeping his arm about the space. It contained a bed, and a wide tub and vanity in the corner. “The john’s behind door number two,” he said, pointing to a door left of the tub. “If you’re hungry, just head out and go to the cubby on your first right. That’s where the Boss keeps the pantry.”

Loki nodded and heard Gabriel sigh. He led him over to the bed and helped him sit at its foot.

“Thank you,” he said, looking up at the angel.

MG, sensing that it was time to make like a tree and leave, turned towards the exit. “Well, I guess I’ll see you guys in the morning then.”

“There’s mornings here?” Gabriel asked.

“Not really, but the Boss has put the place on Mountain Time for you guys,” MG said, doing an about face, pleased at his own joke.

Gabriel and Loki stared at him.

“That’s cheesy even for _me_ ,” Gabriel said, rolling eyes.

“ _I_ happen to have thought it was brilliant, thank you. Anyway,” he said, turning back towards the entrance, “I’m gonna put up the barrier for you guys. Just wave and it’ll open and close for you.” He raised his hand and moved it across the entrance and a wall shimmered into existence. He repeated the action so it faded, and took a step through.

He turned and gave them a small smile. “If he wakes, I’ll come get you right away. Nighters.” He flipped his hand forward, and the barrier formed once more.

Gabriel groaned and flopped back onto the bed. “I thought he’d never leave.”

Loki went to the tub and was relieved to find that it seemed to function like all the ones that he was familiar with. He turned on the faucets and started to fill it. “He’s only trying to help, Gabriel, and he did save Rich’s life.”

Gabriel turned onto his side and watched as Loki untied his boots and started to remove his multiple layers of clothes. “I know, but… well... “

Loki turned around, his hands on the zippers of his pants. “It’s OK, you don’t have to talk about it right now if you don’t want to.” He indicated the tub that was quickly filling with warm water. “Join me?”

Gabriel sighed. “Might as well.” He rolled himself off the bed and kicked his shoes off. He began to remove his hiking gear, making a face as it piled up on the floor. “I don’t ever want to wear that shit again.”

“The feeling is mutual,” Loki said. He had taken everything off but his boxer briefs. He kicked his own pile of clothing towards Gabriel’s.

“I say we burn it as soon as we can,” Gabriel said. He pulled the last of his shirts up over his head, then hooked his thumbs into the top of his own briefs. “That tub full yet?”

Loki turned, then cut the water off. “Looks like it.” He slid his briefs down his legs, then carefully went to sit in the tub, leaning back against the edge and sighing in contentment as the warm water started to loosen his muscles.

Gabriel quickly followed his actions, and was soon lying with his back against Loki’s chest. They sat quietly in the water, enjoying the feeling of being able to touch one another after so long.

Loki draped his arms around Gabriel’s middle, and Gabriel let his head fall back against his shoulder, sighing as his body became relaxed at last. They continued to let the water warm their skin and muscles, letting their minds wander for a time. Neither noticed how the water’s temperature remained constant, though they wouldn’t have been surprised if they had.

“We found him, Loki,” Gabriel said after a long while. He turned his head and kissed him softly on the neck. “Together.”

“Yeah,” Loki said in a flat voice, moving his fingers absently on Gabriel’s stomach.

Gabriel blinked in concern and turned over so he could look at Loki’s face. The trickster’s eyes were troubled, and Gabriel ran a wet hand through his hair. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Loki said, looking away.

“Loki, don’t…” Gabriel said, grasping his cheek and turning his face so he could look into his eyes. “Don’t shut me out. You don’t have to be the strong one all the time. Don’t fight the need to depend on me, to depend on Rich. We’re all here for each other.”

“I… It’s just.” Loki fisted his hands under the water and fought the urge to slam them into the bottom of the tub. “I’ve always been the one who looked after everyone else. It was my job. And when he was just ripped from us-”

Gabriel sat up abruptly and straddled Loki’s waist, ignoring the water that splashed over the sides of the tub. He pulled him close, holding his head against his chest and shushing him. “I know, I know. And it’s OK. Remember what you said to me? That you were here?” He rocked him in his arms softly. “I’m here too, Sugar,” he whispered.

Loki’s hands shot up out of the water and latched onto Gabriel’s back, holding him tightly. He buried his face into his chest and let out hard, gasping breaths. “I didn’t mean to let him...” His voice shook as he trailed off.

“You didn’t do anything wrong, Loki.” Gabriel continued to rock him gently back and forth, tears welling in his eyes. “We couldn’t have known, remember?”

Loki pulled away and looked at him. “I don’t like feeling this way,” he said, sniffling.

Gabriel leaned down and brushed his lips gently across his. “You don’t have to feel this away alone. Talk to me. What do you need.”

Loki reached for his lips and kissed him. “I need you,” he whispered.

Gabriel kissed him back sweetly. “What do you need from me?” He ran his fingers up and down his neck slowly, gliding the ends along his damp skin. “Just ask.”

Loki tightened his hold on the archangel’s back. “I need _you_ , Angel.”

“OK, Sugar,” Gabriel replied, then slowly touched his lips to his once more. It wasn’t the firey, frenzied kiss that they usually shared; it was a kiss that the archangel used to express how important the trickster god was to him, how much he was needed, how much Gabriel needed _him_. He moved his lips gently along his, sweetly caressing the softness of Loki’s mouth.

Loki returned it, feeling the tenderness of Gabriel’s lips against his own. He molded his lips with the archangel’s, and caressed his back with his hands, running his palms smoothly along the wet skin of his spine and shoulder blades. He felt their aroused lengths brush against each other under the water, and they both moaned and had to pull away to pant and catch their breaths.

Gabriel started to kiss the side of Loki’s neck, and Loki groaned and shivered at the feel of Gabriel’s lips and coarse beard against his neck as he leaned his head back to rest on the edge of the tub. He gripped Gabriel’s hips then spread his legs so that the archangel could settle between them. Their cocks pressed more firmly together, and Loki shifted his pelvis so that they could slide together sensuously.

“Mmm,” Gabriel hummed. He moved his head to the other side of Loki’s neck and gave it the same attention as he had the other. He trailed a hand down Loki’s abdomen and grasped both their cocks, giving them a few gentle tugs together. They both gasped, then Gabriel took his hand away and let it travel down to Loki’s tight, rosey hole.

“Raise your hips for me, Loki,” Gabriel whispered into his ear. Loki complied, and Gabriel swirled his finger gently around the rim. “Which way?”

Loki shuddered. “M-Mouth…”

Gabriel reached under them and pulled the tub’s plug, then stood carefully as the water drained. “Floor…” he said breathlessly. He had water dripping down his body in rivlets, and his cock was thick and throbbing as it curved up against his stomach.

Loki thought he looked glorious, and he wanted that hard cock.

He kneeled carefully forward and licked a long stripe up from the bottom of Gabriel’s shaft to the tip, making Gabriel cry out and grasp his shoulders to keep his balance.

“Loki…” he moaned. He looked down and saw his lover eyeing him as he swallowed him down whole, bobbing his head quickly several times and making Gabriel’s breath stutter. “Y-You need to stop or I’ll…”

Loki pulled off of him with a soft, satisfying slurp of his tongue and licked his lips. “I just had to taste you, Angel.” He gripped the sides of the tub and pushed himself up so he could step out. He grabbed a towel from the open cabinet that was adjacent to the tub and threw it to the floor, not noticing that Gabriel had closed his eyes to help calm his racing pulse.

Once Loki lowered himself on his back upon the towel and situated himself, Gabriel slowly exited the tub and kneeled between his already spread legs. He gazed up and down his body, and they both felt their desire spike even more.

“I know it’s been a long time, but I’ll take care of you,” Gabriel promised, parting Loki’s cheeks to expose his opening. He leaned forward and looked at the wrinkled bud, flushed red from the heat of the water. “Are you ready, Sugar?”

Loki spread his legs wider. “Yes.”

Gabriel lowered his head and gently started to kiss the ring of muscle. He pressed his lips softly up his taint and back down to his entrance, kissing in small, loving circles around it, and Loki felt his skin shiver at each touch.

“Good?” Gabriel asked.

“Mmmm, almost tickles,” Loki hummed.

“Oh, you mean this?” Gabriel replied, turning his face slightly and softly grazing his cheek along where Loki’s thigh met his groin. Loki jumped slightly and purred, and the archangel lowered his head and gave a wet kiss to his pink, furrowed hole. “I guess so.”

Gabriel then lifted Loki’s testicles with his hand and ran the flat of his tongue in a long lick from his taint all the way to the bottom of his sac, and the trickster god moaned long and loud. The archangel repeated the motion several times before focusing on lapping directly at his rim. He wanted to get it wet and soft with his mouth; Loki hadn’t bottomed in decades, and needed all the preparation he could give him.

Loki rocked under Gabriel’s tongue, then grasped his cock to give it firm, hard strokes. It had been so long since he’d felt the archangel’s mouth on him, and he made a mental note to have it on him more often from then on. He pushed his hips towards his tongue, wanting his angel to never stop.

Gabriel felt Loki’s hole start to give a bit and used his thumbs to press down on either side to spread it slightly apart. He let his saliva seep down inside him as he continued his long, torturous licks, then slowly let the point of his tongue enter him.

“Ah!” Loki huffed out, stroking his cock harder. “A-Angel…”

Gabriel coated Loki’s channel with the wetness from his tongue as he moved it in and out, then using what grace he could, he coated the middle finger of his right hand and brought it to his entrance. He removed his mouth, then pressed it in slowly.

Loki clenched around the finger at first, then relaxed as Gabriel slid it back and forth within him. Loki slowed his strokes on himself to enjoy both sensations, and Gabriel slid his ring finger into him.

“Doing OK?” he asked.

“Don’t stop,” Loki gasped.

Gabriel started to pump his fingers within him, stretching his passage, brushing them over that highly sensitive spot within him lightly. Loki grasped the base of his cock firmly, afraid he would finish by Gabriel’s fingers alone.

Gabriel smiled and added a third finger and completed his prepping of the panting and sexy being before him. After he removed them, he ran his hand over his own straining erection.

He crawled over Loki and wrapped the god’s legs around his hips. “Do you still want me, Sugar?” he asked, looking into Loki’s dazed expression.

Loki reached up with his arms and pulled Gabriel flush with his chest. “I told you, Angel. I NEED you!” he said, then kissed him soundly.

Gabriel moaned into the kiss, then pressed the head of his cock against his entrance.

“Oh!” Loki broke the kiss, arching his back as Gabriel’s shaft spread open his rim and slid forward into his core. He felt pleasures within him that he hadn’t realized he had missed.

When Gabriel was seated fully, they both shuddered and groaned. The feeling of being connected was intensified by the nearly non-existent levels of their powers, and the sensations nearly overwhelmed their bodies.

Loki then waited for Gabriel to start moving, but after a long moment with the archangel just lying atop him, Loki looked at him and was surprised when he saw Gabriel’s soft amber eyes gazing at him.

“I love you, Loki,” Gabriel whispered. The remaining stress lines around the trickster's eyes and mouth smoothed and melted away. Gabriel captured his lips in a deep kiss and started a gentle rhythm with his hips against Loki’s, slow and even. The room soon filled with their moans and cries of pleasure. Gabriel kept the pace of their lovemaking the same, using steady thrusts until they had beads of sweat glistening and pouring off their bodies, making their skin so wet it slapped obscenely each time their bodies met where they joined. When Gabriel finally sped up the movement of his hips after hearing Loki’s gasping pleas, they grasped for purchase around each other's bodies with slippery limbs so that they could push themselves harder against each other. They then quickly crashed over the edge, their shouts of completion echoing off the walls.

Gabriel fell heavily on top of Loki, and they panted into each other’s ears. They felt their hearts beating against their chests-a new, yet pleasant feeling for them both-and neither wanted to move.

“Gabriel…” Loki whispered.

Gabriel smiled; he heard and felt everything in the way his trickster said his name.

“Loki...” he whispered back, then closed his eyes as he felt warm arms embrace him.

 

* * *

  

“Angel, wake up,” Loki’s voice said gently a couple hours later.

“Don’t wanna, comfy.”

He heard him sigh. “You’re going to have to. This floor is hard, and I want to sleep in the bed. And,” Gabriel felt himself being rolled over slowly to the side, “I think we defeated the purpose of the bath we started.”

Gabriel opened his eyes and waggled his eyebrows at him. “I have to disagree.”

Loki rolled his eyes and got to his feet. “Regardless, I’m getting back in before I get in bed anyway.” He looked down at the naked archangel, drinking in at how debauched he looked. “I would ask you to join me again…”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. Wash all my sweet lovin’ off of ya. I’ll do the same when you’re done,” Gabriel said. When Loki turned to prepare himself a bath, Gabriel admired his backside, watching the evidence of their earlier activities slowly trickle from inside him and drip between his thighs.

 _Damn, he looks good. Well, shit, that means_ I _look good too._ He blinked. _Hell, that also means that_ all _of us look good._

“Get that look off your face,” Loki said, snapping the archangel out of his pervy musings. He had turned to look over his shoulder to see him literally drooling at him.

“Why did you have to do that? I was just admiring over the fact at how hot we all are!” Gabriel whined.

Loki shook his head as he turned off the water and stepped into the tub. “I’m not even going to comment on how ultra-conceited that sounds when it comes to our relationship.”

“Whatever. If anyone is allowed to think that way, it’s us!” Gabriel shot back, then stood and snatched a washcloth to dip it into the tub. He gave himself a quick once-over with it and wrapped a towel around his waist.

“Where are you going?” Loki asked as Gabriel walked towards the entrance.

“Going to see if anyone can get us something to wear,” Gabriel called over his shoulder.

“Half-naked?”

Gabriel turned. “Well, do you plan on walking around like this?” He continued on his way, and when he reached the opening he waved his hand and said, “Open Sesame Seed!” in a sing-song voice.

Loki groaned at his angel’s antics and started his bath as the barrier disappeared. He half-listened as Gabriel stepped out, then looked up quickly when he heard him run back inside and reactivate the wall.

“Look! They were just sitting outside folded up!” he said, smiling. In his arms he held a set of his and Loki’s usual garments, along with two pairs of pajama bottoms. “Pretty nifty, no?”

Loki indulged Gabriel with a small smile. “I think this ‘Boss’ knows more about us than we think.”

Gabriel shrugged and sat the clothes on the bed. “I just wish that this infernal warding would wear all the way off. I can’t bring out my wings this way and they’re itching the hell out of me!” He rolled his shoulders left and right vigorously. “They’re probably going to need grooming hella bad after all this too, and UGH!”

“It’ll be a good crash course for Rich. I’ll teach him,” Loki said. He dunked his head under the water, then raised it back up, flinging it back to get the wet strands out of his eyes. “Better to dive right in anyway.”

“I hope he’s better soon,” Gabriel said, sobering at the thought of their human. He turned his eyes toward the direction of his room. “Maybe after my bath-”

“MG said that he’d come get us, Angel. Running over there before then will just upset you,” Loki cut in. He started to lather his hair with one of the strange iridescent pearls that he had discovered were some type of cleansing gel. “When we’ve rested we’ll go see him, even if he hasn’t awoken.”

Gabriel shuffled his foot on the floor. “Promise?”

Loki looked at him from under the suds on his head. “Promise.”

 

* * *

  

_He was standing amidst a gray, misty landscape. It was dead silent, and the sky overhead was a sick, pale brown. It felt like a hot, humid, miserable day in the middle of a long Southern summer, and even though all he wanted to do was lie down and close his eyes, his legs kept propelling him forward. To where, he didn’t know._

_And he hurt. Oh, he hurt._

_He didn’t know how long he had been here. It seemed to be like he had always been in this place. He had a faint memory that maybe he had been somewhere else once, but he wasn’t sure if it was a true memory or just his mind making it up in a futile attempt to distract him from his surroundings._

_He let his legs carry him in whatever direction they wanted, keeping his eyes staring straight into the neverending mist. He just wanted it to end. He’d lost count of the number of times that he wished that he would just drop dead, that his heart would just cease beating-_

_Two faint golden lights appeared in the distance, immediately catching his attention and halting his morose thoughts. He opened his mouth in shock, and suddenly found that he had control of his legs._

_He pointed his body in the lights’ direction, and wanted to cry when he realized that even though he was able to direct his body’s movements, he was only able to move marginally faster._

_But the golden lights appeared to pulse at him encouragingly, and he dug deep inside himself and pressed steadily towards them. They beckoned to him, offered sanctuary. A way out._

_A reason to **live**._

 

* * *

  

The first thing Gabriel saw when he awoke was Loki’s profile. His lover was breathing softly as he slept on the pillow beside him, his expression void of its usual calculating looks and stubbornness. Gabriel resisted the urge to touch his face, not wanting to wake him, and instead slid slowly and softly out of the bed.

Gabriel changed from his pajama pants to his clothes, sighing happily at not having to wear the heavy hiking gear again. He shrugged on the leather jacket and stretched out his arms. That was more like it!

“Now just find a razor and hairbrush, and you’ll be all set,” he heard a smug voice say from the bed.

He turned to look at the mischievous eyes of his trickster. “Hush you. I was gonna do that before I left to go grab something quick to munch on.”

Loki threw back the covers and started to get dressed while Gabriel went and fussed with the process of removing the hair from his cheeks and chin. “This is dangerous,” the archangel complained, running the razor carefully along the side of his face, and was quite surprised when he didn’t knick himself. After rinsing his face and drying it with a towel, he went about tugging the snarls and tangles out of his hair with a comb. “And look!” he said, turning and holding up the hair utensil, “this makes your hair come out as you do it! I’m gonna end up bald at this rate!”

“You can always grow it back later,” Loki said, who was just finishing buttoning up his vest. He leaned down to put his shoes on while Gabriel finished with his hair.

“Well, this will have to do I guess,” Gabriel said, tossing the comb onto the vanity. He turned and stopped when he saw Loki sitting on the bed watching him. “What?”

Loki folded his hands then leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. He lowered his head and said softly, “I… I didn’t say ‘thank you’ last night. So,” he raised his eyes, “thank you, Angel.”

Gabriel’s expression turned tender, and he quickly walked forward and used two fingers to tilt Loki’s head up by his chin. “You’re welcome, Sugar.” He leaned down and pressed his lips to his.

Loki placed his hand on the side of Gabriel’s face, enjoying the freshly shaven feel of his skin as he opened his lips under his angel’s. They explored each other’s mouths as they kissed deeply for a few moments, then pulled away, sighing.

“We need to go get breakfast before we get too carried away.” Gabriel stood and huffed out a laugh.

“You go on ahead. Let me shave, and try to tame my own hair.”

“I know it’s different for you, but I always thought that you looked sexier without a hat,” Gabriel said, running his fingers through Loki’s bedhead tresses. Neither had failed to notice that Loki’s new set of clothes was missing the god’s favorite head accessory.

“I guess I can live without it, knowing you think that way,” Loki smirked. “Now get going.”

Both beings had to shift themselves in their pants as they parted ways, but they also secretly made possible plans for later in their minds.

It was always a good idea to be prepared.

 

* * *

  

Later they both left the pantry room and Gabriel pursed his lips back and forth over his teeth. “Blech, I think I need to brush my teeth,” he groaned.

“Me too,” Loki said, then started to make his way towards their room.

“I don’t want to though,” Gabriel said from behind him, his eyes darting toward Rich’s room across the path. Loki paused, then turned to face him.

“Gabriel, go brush your teeth.”

Gabriel narrowed his eyes. “I don’t have to if I don’t want to,” he said, crossing his arms defiantly.

Loki shrugged and turned from him. “Fine, but when your teeth start hurting, and your breath smells like ass and I won’t kiss you, don’t you _dare_ complain about it.” He looked over his shoulder and glared. “ _Not one word._ ”

“I hate you,” Gabriel complained, following the arrogant trickster.

 

* * *

 

_The lights were getting brighter now, and he could hear faint sounds issuing from them. It had been so long since he had heard anything but the sound of his own thoughts and his ragged breathing and tears. They were soothing sounds, calming sounds, and the clearer it became, the less he felt the aching pain that had suffused his being for so very long._

_He started to long to touch the lights. He knew somewhere within his very soul that if he could just feel their golden glow with his hands that he would be safe, that whatever this nightmare world he was in would go away…_

 

* * *

  

When Gabriel and Loki entered Rich’s alcove they discovered that the Boss and MG had arrived before them. They saw the Boss holding a hand above Rich’s chest. She had her eyes closed and seemed to be concentrating intently.

MG was standing by the entrance and noticed them. “She’s checking him over. Give her a minute to finish,” he explained.

They waited patiently, and when the Boss pulled her hand back, she opened her eyes and faced them. “Good morning.”

 “How is he?” Loki asked, touching the back of his hand to Gabriel’s. He felt the archangel link their fingers together.

“He’s improving more and more. I’m pleased,” she said, smiling at them.

They both sighed in relief and turned to hug one another.

Gabriel turned his head on Loki’s chest and looked at her. “When do you think he’ll wake up?”

“At the rate he’s improving, any day now. It’s just a matter of time.”

“How will he be when he awakes?” Loki asked. He felt Gabriel tense, and rubbed his back.

“I’m not sure, but I assure you I will do everything I can. Just know that you two being here has been remarkable for him. I’m feeling that it will be the same after he regains consciousness.”

“Thank you,” Gabriel said, his fears abating somewhat.

The Boss smiled then turned to MG. “Let’s give them time to visit, shall we?”

“Right-O, Boss Lady,” MG said. He waited for her to leave ahead of him, but stopped before he turned to follow. “We brought something for you guys to sit on,” he said, motioning to two chairs that were against the wall to his right. “If you need anything, just holler.”

“Sure,” Gabriel said flatly.

“We will,” Loki said, acknowledging the angel.

MG looked between the archangel and trickster god for a short moment, then nodded at Loki before exiting the room, activating the room’s barrier to give them privacy.

“Gabriel, this thing between you and-”

Gabriel shook his head against Loki’s chest. “I don’t want to talk about it right now. I just want to focus on Rich.” He raised his head and looked at him. “Please?” he asked in a pleading tone.

Loki lay one of his hands on the side of the archangel’s face and rubbed his cheek with his thumb. “OK. Let’s visit with him.”

They brought the chairs over and sat next to the bed. Gabriel held Rich’s hand as had the day before, and Loki caressed the side of his face, touching the fine hair that grew there.

“That beard looks good on him,” Gabriel said after a while. “He had one almost exactly like it the first time I was with him.”

“It suits him a lot better than us,” Loki said. He continued running his fingers through Rich’s beard, watching as he breathed. His color was much better from the night before, and he wondered once more how long it would take him to recover once he awoke.

“I wonder if he’s mad at us.”

Loki’s fingers paused and he turned his gaze to look at Gabriel. “Why would you think that?” he asked. He didn’t like the troubled look in the archangel’s eyes.

Gabriel sighed and gently rubbed his thumbs in a circle on the inside of Rich’s palm. “I dunno. I just, maybe… He waited on us to come, and we were on this stupid mountain, and…” His voice trailed off and he grew quiet, lowering his head and resting it against his and Rich’s clasped hands.

He was startled when he felt Loki’s hand rest atop his head.

“Angel, he would never think that. He never gave up on us. Doesn’t that tell you anything?” Loki said gently. He fingered the soft locks of hair on top of Gabriel’s head. “He knew that we would never abandon him.”

“It’s just so hard seeing him like this.”

“He’ll wake soon. We just have to be patient.”

Gabriel turned to look at him, his eyes wet with unshed tears. “Don’t ever leave us, Loki.”

“Never, Angel.”

 

* * *

  

_He was starting to feel warmer. How, he didn’t know, and he didn’t question it. The drab scenery he had been in for as long as he had known had started to change. He could see the faint beginnings of colors, colors he didn’t know the names of, nor knew existed._

_The lights had grown in brilliance. He wanted and longed to be near them. His lips started to tremble. He felt tears trail down his face._

_**Please** , he thought. **Don’t go**..._

 

* * *

  

A few hours later, Gabriel and Loki heard a soft knock at the barrier. Gabriel looked at Loki, who gave him a questioning look.

“I won’t answer it if you’d rather…” he began.

“No, it might be important. Might be about Rich,” Gabriel said.

Loki nodded and went to open the magic wall. On the other side stood the Boss, along with MG.

“I’m sorry for interrupting, but I’ve found out a little more information, if you’d like to hear it,” she said. Gabriel turned in his seat and shared a look with Loki. They both nodded.

The Boss entered and MG followed. Gabriel turned his seat around, and Loki walked over to do the same before also sitting.

“What is it?” Loki asked.

“MG told me about how you were all torn apart when you came to this world.”

“Yeah, I’ve been wondering about that,” Gabriel said, then pinched his nose. “I was _so sure_ that it would be OK. I’d brought-” he broke off, then coughed. “I brought something from his world, and it stayed and made it back just fine, so I figured he’d be OK too.”

The Boss nodded. “Normally, I would agree with you. However, in your case, something else has happened.” She came forward and stood to Loki’s right and laid her palm gently on Rich’s forehead. She smiled broadly.

“What? What is it?” Gabriel asked at her expression.

“He’s improving faster than I expected. This confirms what I’m about to tell you.” She removed her hand and stepped back to stand in front of them.

“When you were separated in the portal,” she began, “it was no accident. The forces of our world didn’t know what to do with Rich. Not only is he the first person from his world to come here that I know of, there is also something about him that is different, and that confused those forces. It didn’t know where to send him from the portal, and since those forces always want to keep things in balance as much as possible, they sent him to the nearest being like him in this world: MG.”

“Wait, how is he different?” Loki asked.

“He’s changing.”

“Changing?!” Loki and Gabriel said at the same time in astonishment.

Gabriel turned and looked at Rich, trying his best to keep himself collected. “I-Is it bad? Will he be hurt?”

Loki reached out and grasped his arm. “Gabriel, breathe.”

Gabriel turned to him. “But Loki!”

The Boss held up her hand. “And you are both changing as well, just not as rapidly as he is.”

The archangel and trickster blinked, taking in the information slowly.

“But…” Gabriel fumbled for words. “Are we _all_ in danger? Is this going to happen to each of us?”

“You two do not seem to be suffering any ill effects, so I’m going to say no. And as such,” she glanced at Rich on the bed, “I’ve confidence that the same is for him. It was just harder on his body.”

Loki looked up at her. “What the hell _is_ it?” He knew that despite the Boss’ reassuring words, Gabriel was about to lose it, and he wanted more precise answers!

“The connection you all have has grown stronger, and it’s solidifying itself.”

“But how is that changing us?” Gabriel asked, his voice wavering.

“Rich is becoming a part of this world. You and Loki are becoming a part of his,” the Boss said. She kept her voice calm and even, trying to soothe the archangel’s panic.

Loki furrowed his eyebrows at her words. “I don’t quite understand. It sounds like you’re saying…” his voice trailed off, trying to make sense of what he’d been told.

MG, who’d been leaning against the wall, spoke up. “You guys are becoming hybrids of the two worlds. Y’all are new species, my man!” He shrugged when the Boss glared daggers at him. “Sorry, but it’s the easiest way to tell them!”

“I’ll deal with you later, you pest!” she said under her breath. She moved her eyes back to the beings in front of her and shook her head at their blank expressions. “Thank you for breaking their brains, MG.”

“I try,” the angel said. He indicated the exit to the room with his thumb. “I’m guessing I’m getting kicked out now?”

When she nodded tersely, he stuck his hands in his pocket and strolled through, closing it behind him.

Hearing the activation of the barrier, Loki and Gabriel blinked out of their stupor. The trickster god immediately went into protective mode and pulled Gabriel to him. “You’re crazy...” he whispered, glaring distrustfully at the Boss.

 

* * *

  

MG walked stiffly down the hallway, chewing on his lower lip. He had been feeling conflicted ever since Gabriel and Loki had arrived at The Summit. He was relieved that their arrival had led to a massive improvement in Rich’s condition, but seeing the way that the two looked at the human, fawned over him, talked about him…

It had only allowed another feeling that he loathed creep back in: loneliness.

It had made him do awful things before, yet seeing those three together, and how NOT alone they were?

He couldn’t help but wonder if there was a chance that maybe he could have that too.

But how? And with whom?

Could there actually be someone out there for him? But... who could possibly _want_ someone like him? He wasn’t even a real character, just a parody of who Gabriel was.

He stopped and crossed his arms, tapping the pointer finger of his right hand on his left elbow as he frowned. Was he seriously thinking about this? Who was he kidding? It would never happen! He wasn't meant to have a happy ending; he was just a one-off character meant to further along a plotline for others.

He shook his head and continued on his way, but he still heard the nagging thoughts at the back of his mind, and he grit his teeth as each one made something he couldn’t, and wouldn't, name in his chest twinge sharply in response.

He would make it go away. He would bury it, like he always did, then everything would go back to being the same as it was before.

 _Liar_ , he heard his conscious tell himself.

He hardened his features and walked faster.

_Why aren’t you allowed to be happy? It’s not your fault that you were written the way you-_

“Shut up!” he shouted, turning and punching the nearest wall with his right hand. He cried out as he felt the bones crunch against the stone. “FUCK!”

He cradled his hand, fighting the tears that were threatening to fall from the corners of his eyes. He didn’t want to think of it, how he had felt so useless he almost made himself disappear. How he had felt so unwanted that he nearly-

He shook his head.

It wasn’t his fault that he had been created the way he was! He knew that, everyone knew that!

But that didn’t mean that it didn’t bring him ridicule from others. Sure, there were those who “tolerated” him, but others scoffed at him, said he wasn’t a “true” character, just a sad copy of another.

So he hid the pain by lashing out and making the lives of others as difficult as he could with endless pranks and manipulations, and when they pushed back, he just upped his game. It got to the point that they complained endlessly to the Boss.

She had decided to use his cleverness not as a way to cause trouble, but as a way to help her, after she had come looking for him when he had decided to-

He clenched his teeth tightly as memories of what he had done threatened to surface from deep within his mind, where he had kept them locked away for years. NO! These feelings had nothing to do with that, and he would NEVER remember those events again. EVER!

He opened his eyes and looked at his injured hand, noticing that it was swelling and bruised. _Shit_ , he thought. He looked around, then made his way to the pantry. Ice, that’s what he needed.

He entered the room, then wrapped ice with a dish towel so he could set it on his injured knuckles.

“Fuck my life,” he muttered, as he sat down at the table in the center of the room. He lay his head down, letting his eyes wander aimlessly about the room.

These feelings, both familiar and strange, would go away. They had to. Right?

“What am I going to do?” he whispered.

 

* * *

  

_Closer, closer, closer…_

_He could hear voices now, three separate voices. One sounded distressed, another terse and even, the other calm and kind. The lights pulsed with the sounds of the former two, and he wondered if that meant something._

_The pain within his body had lessened a great deal, and he had noticed that he could take deeper breaths. The air felt cleaner and was filled with a faint aroma that he knew he should remember._

_**I’m almost there. Wait for me.** _

 

* * *

  

The Boss didn’t seemed offended at Loki’s words. “MG also told me about the pains you all experienced, and how they all started at the same time. Have they stopped?”

Gabriel and Loki looked at each other. So much had happened in the last couple of days, they hadn’t noticed that the clenching spasms in their chests had stopped entirely. They turned back to her and nodded.

“I had thought as much,” she smiled softly. She opened her mouth to say more, but was stopped by the sound of Rich moaning from the bed.

The three beings in the room turned their heads quickly to look at him. Gabriel made to stand, but Loki held on to him as he saw the Boss rush over to the bed.

“Easy, Angel. Let her see to him,” he said softly. Gabriel nodded, but kept his eyes focused on the actions of the Boss as she swept her hands along Rich’s form.

She checked his breathing, pulse, and conscious state, then gently laid her right palm upon the center of his chest to check his soul. She pressed a small amount of her power through her hand to graze against his skin, then smiled.

“What is it?” Gabriel asked, removing himself from Loki’s embrace so he could stand and walk over next to her. “Is he OK?”

“He’s better than that. He’s just about in sync now. Which should also mean,” she lifted her hand and placed it upon the archangel’s chest, “you should be as well.”

Gabriel gasped as he felt her power gently tap against his grace and search within him. He then made a surprised sound when it also tapped against another source of energy that he had not been aware of before.

“Wh-What is that?” he asked, looking into her brown eyes.

“What are you doing to him?!” Loki shouted, marching up to stand to their left and looking extremely upset.

With surprising speed, the Boss slapped her other hand flat against his sternum. The trickster god sucked in his breath, feeling his pagan magic colliding with hers as it searched out and found a foreign power flowing within him.

“What did you do to us?” he demanded.

She gently withdrew her powers from them both, then helped them to their chairs. They reached for each other’s hands, trying to wrap their minds around what had just happened.

“You’re both getting there as well, which is good. Very good,” she said, smiling to them, then nodding to herself.

“Please just tell us what’s going on? MG got to the point, and you got pissed. I’ve half a mind to go find him, and if that doesn’t prove how fucking freaked out I am right now…” Gabriel shook his head, then looked over at Rich.

Loki squeezed his hand and glared up at the Boss. “Tell us. Now.”

She started to explain, but was interrupted by a raspy voice.

“You guys are loud.”

Gabriel and Loki stood and threw their chairs out of the way so they could kneel at Rich’s bedside. The Boss had to step aside quickly to avoid being struck by the chairs, then decided that she would make a discreet exit.

Rich looked at his lovers through tired eyes, and though his breathing was shallow, he smiled with relief at seeing their faces. “So it was your voices that I heard,” he said slowly. He tried to raise his hand, but it was difficult; he was so weak.

Gabriel reached out for it and clasped it within both of his own. “You heard us, Baby?” he said, then kissed his knuckles. He was trying so hard not to cry, but he knew it was going to be a losing battle as his vision started to blur.

“D-Don’t cry, Gabriel,” Rich sighed. “Knew you would come for me.” He moved his gaze to Loki. “Both of you.”

Loki’s mouth trembled softly before he leaned the side of his head against Rich’s chest. He needed to hear him breathe, to hear his heartbeat.

“Loki…” Rich whispered.

“We missed hearing your voice,” Loki murmured. “It’s been so long since we’ve heard it.”

Tears started to stream down Gabriel’s face. “So happy you’re awake, Baby.” He squeezed his eyes shut and kissed Rich’s hand again and again. “So happy.”

“It-” Rich croaked, and Loki looked at him.

“What is it?”

“It… I mean…” Rich stammered, then closed his eyes. He jumped a little when he felt a warm hand caress his brow.

“Shh, it’s OK. Do you need to sleep? Are you hungry? Thirsty?” Loki asked.

Rich shook his head sightly, then opened his eyes. “Hold me?” he asked quietly.

The next thing he knew, Gabriel was on his right, Loki his left, arms wrapped lovingly around him and holding him like he was the most precious and rarest gift in the world. They pressed tender kisses upon his lips, his face, and along his neck, whispering sweet words of love and promises to him, and he replied the same in kind. Tears were shed by all three, some of remorse, some of relief, most of happiness.

“I love you,” Rich said into Gabriel’s ear. He sighed as the archangel kissed him and returned the words fervently.

He turned and kissed Loki’s lips, then whispered, “I love you.”

The god nuzzled his neck and hummed softly, “I know.”

Rich smiled.

A knock at the entrance broke them from their contentment. They turned as one towards the sound, and Rich gave a questioning look to Gabriel. “Where are we?”

“Safe, Love.”

Loki rolled off the bed, and Rich pouted at the loss of his presence and warmth. “Just answering the door,” he said at the human’s expression.

Gabriel pulled Rich closer, holding him securely in his arms. “It's OK, sweetheart. I’m gonna stay right here.” Rich couldn’t help but feel happy at his words. He decided that he liked being spoiled.

They watched as Loki opened the barrier and revealed the Boss. She glanced about the room and smiled at the sight of Gabriel and Rich on the bed. “Everyone doing OK?” she asked. She didn’t enter, but Loki could tell that she wanted to.

“As far as I can tell. But,” he gave her a hard look, but then stepped aside and held his hand out to motion her forward, “please.”

She acknowledged him with a nod and entered, padding softly to the bed. She inspected Rich with her eyes, noting his breathing, the look of his eyes, how he couldn’t support himself without the help of Gabriel.

“How are you?” she finally said after a few moments. He looked at her, surprised.

“Ellen Harvelle?” Rich said.

She smiled. “Not really. I just like this form best in this world.”

“Always was a favorite,” Rich smiled sincerely.

“It’s good to see you awake, Rich.” She came forward and stood by the bed to lay a cool hand upon his brow. “You’re still weak, but I think with a few days of rest, you should be fine. Every moment you’re getting stronger. You feel it, don’t you?”

“I do, actually. But,” he tilted his head, “how do you know me?”

“MG and I have taken care of you since he brought you here two weeks ago. You’re lucky he contacted me when you collapsed. You wouldn’t be here right now otherwise.”

“What was wrong?” Loki asked. He waited for the Boss to step back so he could sit by Rich’s shoulder on the bed and hold his hand. Gabriel lay a hand on the human’s thigh over the covers.

“It’s best if we start from the beginning, and Gabriel, even though you’re not going to like this, it involves both you and your unreasonable animosity towards MG,” the Boss said.

Gabriel blinked and narrowed his eyes at her. “Unreasonable? _Unreasonable?_   What do you know!”

“Gabriel,” Loki began.

“No! You don’t know what it felt like, to... to...” He looked over at Loki, who was glaring at him. He nodded his head subtly to the side at Rich, and Gabriel blanched at the look on the human’s face.

“Gabriel, I’m sorry if I-”

“No, Rich, it wasn’t…” Gabriel looked down at the bed and rubbed Rich’s leg. “It’s not you, it’s me. I was jealous of MG, because he was created as the ‘new Gabriel.’ I was left just standing in the void, and he got to spend time being with you. We all want to be with our alter-egos when they return, and then BAM! someone comes along to take your place.”

“So I guess I was sorta like the new baby that was brought home,” MG said quietly from just inside the room’s entryway.

Rich smiled softly. “MG,” he said.

“Heya,” the angel replied, waving. “Glad to see you awake. I knew that ignoring you and bringing you here was the SMART thing to do.” He held one of his hands behind him, which drew the attention of the Guardian.

The Boss’ eyebrows drew together in worry. “MG?” She walked over and gently pulled his arm forward and discovered that most of his right hand was bound in a makeshift bandage. “What did you do?” she said. She went to touch his green and purple-mottled fingers, but he drew them sharply away from her.

“It’s nothing. I just had a minor disagreement with the wall,” he said, forcing a smile to his lips. Everyone in the room could plainly see that it didn’t reach his eyes.

“MG,” the Boss started, but he walked past her.

“I didn’t replace you,” he said, addressing Gabriel and stopping the Boss from saying anymore to him. He picked up one of the chairs that been thrown across the room with his uninjured hand from the floor, turning it rightside up so he could sit down in it and cross his legs.

“Yeah, OK,” Gabriel said, turning his head away from the angel.

“I’m sorry Gabriel,” Rich said. Gabriel snapped his gaze sharply to Rich at the human’s tone of voice.

“Don’t you dare start with all that self-guilt stuff again, sweetheart. You’re not to blame in any of this.” He kissed Rich softly on his temple.

The Boss smiled at them, though she kept one eye on the injured angel. “It’s so interesting how your jealousy of MG plays into all of this, Gabriel.”

“What?” Gabriel and MG said. They looked at each other, then glanced awkwardly away.

Loki gave the Boss an odd look. “How?”

“Gabriel knows,” she simply said.

All eyes turned towards the archangel.

“What? I didn’t-” He sighed when Loki raised an eyebrow, daring him to lie. “FINE! I stewed for a YEAR over it all, and then I decided that I wanted to prove to Rich that there was only one TRUE Gabriel, and if I had to break the rules to do that, then so be it! I wanted to show HIM,” he pointed a finger at MG, “that he would NEVER be as good as me!”

“Are you fucking kidding me? You went and broke THE RULE as a way to get back at me?” MG said incredulously. “I’ve done some shit, but… WOW.”

Rich stared at Gabriel. “What? You came that night to prove to me that you were… you?”

“I was just going to talk to you at first. The rest… Well,” the edges of Gabriel’s lips turned up into a small smile, “the rest just happened because when I saw you, I just knew that I wanted you, and I didn’t care about the consequences.”

“But why?” Rich asked, though he did look at his archangel fondly for his words.

“Because he is Gabriel. When has he ever not been rebellious? It's only an integral part of his character, ‘written into his DNA’ if you will,” the Boss said.

“But why? How?” Rich said.

“You like saying that, don't you? You should be asking yourself why you're so worried about it.”

Rich looked perplexed. “Why shouldn’t I be?”

“Is it so hard for you to be happy? Are you really that worried about it?” the Boss asked kindly.

“No, I'm incredibly happy! It's just…” Rich trailed off.

“Just what?” Gabriel asked, feeling concerned.

Rich sighed and looked at Loki and Gabriel anxiously. “What if it’s a fluke?”

The archangel and trickster went to protest, but the Boss broke in quickly. “Listen to me, Rich. The Cosmos, the stars themselves, guides and sets in motion every and anything that occurs to us. It works with the forces that surrounds us as well. Love, one of the most powerful of those forces, works in tandem with the Cosmos. Be it real or fictitious, it influences our hearts and souls in extraordinary ways. Yes, I know it sounds cliché, that it’s something one reads about in poetry,” she said, noting how the triad had raised their eyebrows at her, “but where do you think poets get the idea for it in the first place? It doesn't care who or what you are, or who you care about. Once it decides what it wants to do, that's it, and there's no fighting or denying it. Love decided that you were meant to be together. It saw you and Gabriel, used its magic through Gabriel’s innate willfulness, later included Loki in that magic, and now here you all are. The Cosmos wants you three to be together.”

Rich squeezed his eyes shut and bit his lip as he shook his head. “But we were in pain for years because of it…”

“Like the song says: ‘Love is a battlefield.’ You three won. Enjoy your victory, don't question it.”

“Then, we can be together, even if we don’t know how this really works? Will we be together always?” He looked at Gabriel and Loki with grief in his eyes. “I know you will never leave me, but you're both immortal, with incredible powers. I-I'm not. I-I'll be gone, one day. I almost died here...”

“I won’t let you,” Loki said.

“Nor I,” Gabriel added.

Rich snorted. “I can't just be turned into some kind of vampire. What will that look like?”

Loki rubbed the inside of his wrist with his thumb. “We'll hide you, when the time comes. The rest we'll take care of.”

“You’d do that for me? Really?” RIch said. His eyes started to mist over with emotion.

Gabriel kissed his hair. “Rich, we risked our lives to climb a mountain so we could find you. We'd do it again, over and over if we had to.”

Rich leaned into his angel. “I'm- Guys, I just- I don't deserve you. How can I ever show you how much that means to me?” He turned to look at Loki and smiled, who gazed back at him fondly.

“Us being together is all that matters,” he replied.

“I want us to be together. It was agony being apart from both of you, and I never EVER want that to happen again,” Rich said, shuddering against Gabriel. The archangel tightened his arms around him reassuringly.

The Boss spoke up. “And it won't, if you stop letting your mind war over your heart.”

Rich nodded, then placed a hand upon his chest, and furrowed his brow curiously. “This feeling: What is it?”

She smiled. “I think I can ease your mind over that one. Gabriel's impulsiveness drew you together. His breaking of our rules, the forces that balance our world with yours, are trying to fix itself by creating a loophole just for you three: letting Gabriel and Loki become partially real.”

Rich sat up, pulling away from Gabriel in shock. “ _Partially_ real?”

Acting as if she expected his reaction, the Boss said, “The warmth that you feel when you are all together, and that intense pain that you felt when you were all apart, that is your soul, your heart. You poured your soul into helping shape Gabriel and Loki into who they are, and in doing so you left a piece of yourself in each of them, creating a spark. Through the natural forces that reside in all fictional characters, they resonated with each other just a little at first because of Gabriel’s unique connection with this world’s and Earth’s moon. But from the moment you entered the portal, those sparks and the forces in our world collided, and they started to grow.”

Gabriel widened his eyes in disbelief. “Are you saying…?”

“Impossible!” Loki exclaimed.

“Have you not noticed that everything involving you three has been pretty much impossible?” the Boss said simply.

“So I gave them baby souls?” Rich said, wondering out loud.

“Essentially,” the Boss replied.

“Way to go! You knocked them up, buddy!” MG guffawed.

Gabriel rolled his eyes at MG. “Why are you still here?”

Rich gave Gabriel a look. “Gabriel, come on…”

Gabriel sighed. “ _Fine_... Anyway…”

The Boss continued with her explanation. “When you were apart, your soul reached out to those new souls. They needed to be near you as they grew. The further away you were, the more the strain was upon you.”

Gabriel looked puzzled. “But Loki and I felt pain too.”

The Boss nodded. “Just as Rich's soul was reaching out for you, your own fledgling souls reached out for his.”

Loki looked grim. “Which made his worse, having two pulling at him at the same time.”

“Oh Rich... I'm so sorry I wasn't there,” Gabriel said, pulling Rich back into his arms.

Rich held onto to Gabriel for a moment, then said, “MG took care of me. I wouldn’t have made it without him.”

Loki stood and walked towards MG, holding out a hand. “You have my thanks.” MG got to his feet and clasped his hand with his uninjured one, shaking it and nodding his head.

The trickster god stepped back and turned around to level a look at Gabriel, who darted his eyes between him and the angel. He looked down and saw that Rich was also watching him. He sighed and leaned down to kiss him.

“I know,” he whispered, then crawled off the bed to walk and stand before MG.

“I- I don't know what to say, but I do know that I owe you twice over.”

MG gave him a strange look. “Twice?”

Gabriel smacked his forehead. “For making me look like an arrogant jackass, you prick! And,” he held out his hand, “thank you for saving him. I-I don't even want to know what I would've done otherwise.”

MG gladly returned the gesture, grinning broadly. “It’s forgotten.” He smiled playfully. “Does this mean I get invited for the holidays now?”

Gabriel blinked. “I’ll have my people call your people, I guess?”

MG winked. “Fair enough.”

Loki sighed at their antics; they were more alike than they thought they were. He turned back to the Boss.

“So with these souls... they'll grow you said. What will happen? We become human?”

He didn’t seem too thrilled at the idea.

“I said partially, didn't I? You both can still access your own powers to a degree, but if you use too much at one time, you may have to rest afterward.” She raised a finger. “You might also start to experience an increase in your emotions for a short while as your bodies adjust. Don’t be surprised if you feel overwhelmed by past memories. You’re not completely fictional anymore; you can’t just shrug and let the things you’d like to forget go as easily as before.”

Loki didn’t like that information either, but decided he’d focus on the here and now instead. “And earlier, you said that Rich is too?” He kept an eye on the human on the bed, saw him tense. He hated to ask, but he had to know.

“Yes, Rich is also partly becoming what makes both you and Gabriel like this world,” she said, spreading her arms around her.

Rich swore that he felt his eyes protrude out of his skull. “I’m becoming _unreal_?” His voice cracked on the second syllable of the word. “Will I not be human anymore?”

MG sighed in exasperation. “It’s like you’ll be a blend of your two worlds. It’s really no big deal if you ask me,” he said, crossing his arms. He winced when he bumped his injured hand against his elbow unintentionally. “Besides, it makes it easier for you guys to travel back and forth, so it’s a win-win when it comes to that.”

The Boss glared at him.

“You take too long. Sometimes you just need to be blunt,” he said smugly. He noticed that the three persons in the room looked much less confused now, and raised an eyebrow. “See?”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Tell me about your hand later and I’ll think about it.”

He ignored her.

Rich spoke up from the bed. “Will people in my world be able to see them, then?”

“Yes,” the Boss said matter-of-factly.

As one, the trio all burst out, “WHAT?!”

And then Rich, being who he was, started to panic. “But... there can't be THREE of me! I don't have any identical brothers!”

The Boss tried to assuage him. “I know you’re feeling upset, Rich, but even though you’re getting stronger by the minute, you’ll wear yourself out if you don’t calm down.”

“Upset?! I’m not upset! I’m FREAKING THE HELL OUT!”

Gabriel and Loki swifty made their way back to Rich’s side and sat on either side of him. “Rich, what are we?” Gabriel said slowly.

“What kind of question is that?!”

“What can we do?” Loki said.

Rich just stared at them.

“I… don’t think it’s computing, guys,” MG said uncertainly.

Gabriel ignored him. “Rich, Love, sweetie. Loki and I, what are we able to do? What did we BOTH do for centuries?”

“...hide?” Rich said uncertainly.

“Don't you think we could pull something off like that again?”

“But-”

Gabriel pushed a lock of hair behind Rich’s ear. “Didn't we say that we'd do anything for you?”

Rich turned to Loki. “What are you going to do? Wear masks around me in public?”

Loki snorted in amusement. “Only when we have to. There are ‘glamor’ spells for that.”

“This is going to take some getting used to,” Rich said, then rubbed his face in exhaustion as he quieted down.

The Boss looked up at the ceiling, gauging the time in her head. It had been quite a discussion.

“I think it’s time that we let our patient rest. He still has some healing to do.”

Gabriel turned to her. “Can we stay?”

“I’ll stay with him while he rests. You go get some dinner, then bring us back something for after he wakes up. Then we’ll switch out in the morning,” Loki said. “This bed isn’t big enough for the three of us anyhow, and he doesn’t need to be moved.”

The Boss placed her hands on her hips. “Well, I guess you guys have made my decision for me then! Very well!” She turned and gave MG a look.

“Meet me in my office after your meal,” she said, then strode out the room.

“You’re in deep shit,” Gabriel chuckled.

MG shrugged. “Won’t be the first time,” he said. “Meet ya in a bit for some foodage,” he added as he left the room.

Gabriel leaned over and gave Rich a soothing kiss upon his lips. “Enjoy your nap, my heart. I’ll see you in a little while.”

Rich smiled and kissed him back softly. “I love you.”

Gabriel’s eyes softened. “Love you too, Baby.” He looked over at Loki and beckoned him forward.

“And I _guess_ I love you too, Sugar Lips,” he said playfully.

“Brat,” Loki said, but pecked his lips anyway.

Gabriel winked, then carefully scooted off the bed and made his way to the exit. “See you guys in a bit,” he said, turning and blowing a kiss to his lovers.

They waved and watched him disappear through the entryway and bring up the barrier. Loki then helped Rich settle comfortably on the bed before curling up next to him, letting him lay his head upon his shoulder.

“Thank you for staying with me,” Rich sighed. He felt Loki run his fingers through his hair softly, and he snuggled closer and laid a hand upon his chest.

“Rest, Rich,” Loki said quietly. He rested his chin upon the human’s head and held him close to his body. “I won’t go anywhere. I’ll stay here the entire time you sleep. You won’t be alone.”

Rich smiled and nuzzled against Loki’s chest. “I don’t ever want any of us to be alone.” He yawned once more, feeling his eyelids become heavier and heavier as sleep started to overtake him. “I saw your lights, where I was. You were there. Did you know that?” he murmured, then fell deep into slumber.

Loki, noticing that he had drifted off, let a small smile touch his lips at Rich’s words. He tilted his head and kissed his human’s hair. “I’m glad,” he whispered.

 

* * *

  

MG was cursing his ineptness to spread mustard onto a slice of bread. He was just about to throw the knife he had been trying to use across the room in a fit of rage when Gabriel calmly took it from his grasp and set to making the angel’s meal for him.

“It doesn’t hurt to ask for help when you need it, ya know,” Gabriel said. He finished preparing the sandwich, set it on a plate, then slid it in front of him. “There, all done!”

But MG did nothing but stare at his injured hand, and Gabriel placed a hand on his hip. “Hey, what _is_ the story behind that anyway?” he asked. He waited for an answer, but MG didn’t respond, so he held up his palms. “If you don’t wanna talk about it, that’s cool, but keeping it all inside? It’s just gonna fester, then you’re gonna explode, and believe you me, it’s not pretty.”

He turned and started to make his own sandwich, figuring that since all the makings were out, he might as well make one for himself. He’d make one for Loki before he left, and grab some soup for Rich to eat too.

“I kinda know what’s wrong,” MG said when Gabriel placed the top piece of bread on his sandwich. Gabriel paused and turned to him, raising an eyebrow. “Sorta?” the angel added. His eyes were wide and filled with confusion.

“And that’s why you went one-on-one with a stone wall,” Gabriel said slowly. He put his food on a plate and sat down, then gestured for MG to do the same. “Something tells me that you need to talk.”

MG hesitated at first, but sat. Gabriel then listened calmly, keeping his expression neutral, as MG explained how he was dealing with things he didn’t understand, how his mind was throwing feelings at him he didn't know how to process. He omitted certain details because he just couldn’t face them himself.

When he had finished, Gabriel didn’t know what to say at first. He hadn’t realized that this version of himself was dealing with so much. He wasn’t sure if he was the right person to give him the advice he needed.

“MG, have you ever had a friend other than the Boss? Someone to confide in?

The angel gave him an incredulous look. “A friend? I guess so. Then again, no one wants to be a friend to a character like me. They don’t think that I’m actually one to begin with. I’m just… a bad copy. The only attention I got was from acting out, and only because of that did…” he faltered for a moment, coughing and looking away.

“MG?” Gabriel asked. “Are you alright?” The angel’s face had gone blank.

MG looked back. “Y-Yeah,” he smiled half-heartedly. “Just not the most pleasant of memories.” He sighed and continued. “I caught the attention of the Boss in the long run, came here, been helping her out ever since. Otherwise, I’d just be walking around our world lost and ignored.”

Gabriel swallowed. He knew all this already. He had treated MG with contempt, along with jealousy, himself. It was no secret that there was an irrational prejudice against parodically written personas. He looked down at his mostly eaten sandwich, then pushed it away from him.

“I owe you an apology. Hell, most of the people in this world owe you an apology. You can’t help how you were created,” he said, looking at some crumbs on his plate. He raised his eyes and caught MG staring at him. “What?”

“No one has ever told me that they were sorry before,” MG replied. He picked up the remainder of his own sandwich and took a bite, thinking as he chewed. “I’m not quite sure what to say to that,” he said after he swallowed.

“Most people say ‘Thank you’ when they receive an apology,” Gabriel replied, smirking.

MG nodded and held out his unhurt hand. “Thanks, Gabriel. Friends?” he asked, eyes hopeful.

Gabriel’s eyes softened and he took the angel’s hand, shaking it firmly. “Friends.”

 

* * *

  

Loki kept his eyes closed when he heard the barrier open to Rich’s room. He felt the human move slightly in his arms, and he pulled him closer to him. The soft sounds of footsteps let him know that someone was making their way towards the bed, and he turned his head slightly.

“Angel?” he whispered.

The footsteps quickened, then stopped at the bed’s side. He heard a couple quiet thunks, then felt the mattress dip by his side. “Yeah, just little ‘ole me.” A soft hand caressed his face. “Have a nice nap?”

Loki opened his eyes to Gabriel’s smiling face. “I dozed here and there. He slept… fitfully.” He turned and looked down at Rich’s head pillowed on his chest. “I think in his dreams he’s still wherever he was when he was unconscious.”

“We’ll help him,” Gabriel said, laying a hand on Rich’s head. He looked into his trickster’s face and smiled. “Right?”

Loki covered his hand with one of his own. “Always.” He ran his fingers down the back of Rich’s head to his neck, lightly touching his skin. “He needs to eat.”

Gabriel pointed to one of the chairs next to the bed. He had placed two covered trays, one on top of the other, onto the seat of it. “I brought you guys dinner. Soup for him, you a sandwich.”

“Let’s get him awake before his food gets cold then.”

Gently, both Gabriel and Loki ran their hands and fingers along Rich’s face and neck and through his hair, whispering softly for him to awaken. They didn’t want to startle him and throw him into a panic.

Rich moaned as he slowly opened his eyes. He blinked and squinted at the images in front of him, and pressed closer to the familiar warmth he was nestled against. He didn’t want to move, didn’t want to wake up.

“Rich, Baby, come on. You can sleep all you want after. Shh…”

Rich’s eyes snapped open at the endearment. “Gabriel?” He lifted his head, darting his eyes about him. They landed upon his angel, then upon the source of warmth he had been clinging to. “Loki?”

“You with us now, Love?” Gabriel asked, searching his face to make sure that he was awake. Rich turned his eyes to him.

“Is this real? I’m not dreaming?” he asked.

Gabriel felt his heart twist. “No, Baby. We found you, remember?” He ran his hand down Rich’s arm. “We talked with the Boss, after you came to earlier today. You’ve been resting for a little while.”

Rich closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Yes, he remembered. But the dreams… That place…

“Rich!”

He jumped at the sound of Loki nearly shouting his name. “Y-Yeah?”

Loki and Gabriel shared a look. What was going on? Gabriel turned and placed his hands on either side of Rich’s face. “Tell us, sweetheart. Do you not remember?”

He shook his head. “No, I remember. I-” He saw the food trays on the chair. “I’m just hungry. Can’t think too clearly.”

The look of concern didn’t leave the archangel’s face. “Rich-”

Loki’s voice cut off what Gabriel had started to say. “We’ll eat first. But,” he said, giving Rich a pointed look, “I think it’s best that you talk to us.”

Rich lowered his eyes and nodded. “I’m sorry.”

Gabriel rubbed his cheeks with his hands. “Baby, you’ve nothing to be sorry about.” He leaned forward and kissed him on his brow. “Come on, let’s get some food in you.”

“Actually…”

“Yeah?”

“Is there a bathroom?”

Gabriel dropped his hands and looked towards the door on the other side of the room then back at him in answer.

Rich sat up and held his hand out, saying, “I don’t think I can walk. Help?”

“I’m not going in there with you.”

He made a face. “I’m not asking for _that_ much help!”

Loki sighed in exasperation. “Dammit, Gabriel, help him go because if he pisses on the bed AND me I’ll beat your ass!”

A lewd smile spread across Gabriel’s mouth. “Oh?” He looked at Rich shrewdly. “Might be worth it then.”

Rich stared at him. “GABRIEL!”

“Fine, fine, come here,” he said, smiling as he leaned over and gently picked up his human. Rich’s beige garment fell just to his mid-thigh as Gabriel carried him carefully to the bathroom. Once they got to the door, the archangel opened it and helped walk him inside, saying, “Knock if you need help. I _mean_ it!”

Rich promised and Gabriel closed the door, leaning his back against it. He saw that Loki had arranged the room’s two chairs next to the bed and was sitting on one with the food trays in his lap.

“Were the dreams bad?” Gabriel asked quietly.

Loki tapped the lid of the top tray with his fingers. “He sounded distressed sometimes, but then he’d stop. It happened on and off.”

“Loki…” Gabriel began, then lifted his arms and looked at his hands. He curled them into fists, then looked up at him. “He’s so weak.”

“He’ll get stronger. He _has_ been in bed for a while,” Loki said reassuringly.

Gabriel didn’t look up from his hands as he gave him a small nod. He then turned as he heard a knock from behind him. “All better now?” he asked, slapping a smile on his face as soon as he opened the door.

“Almost didn’t make it,” Rich said, leaning against the door frame, relief evident in his voice. He reached for Gabriel and wrapped his arms around his shoulders.

“Don’t worry about me, Gabe,” he whispered into his ear.

Gabriel stilled for a short moment, then embraced him. “You stupid human, it’s my job to worry about you,” he said, kissing him on the side of his neck.

Chuckling, Rich leaned the side of his head against Gabriel’s. “I guess it’s my job to worry about you guys too, then.” He tightened his arms around his neck as he felt Gabriel scoop him up bridal style. “My hero,” he teased.

“I shall always save you from the clutches of the evil bathroom monster, my sweet!” Gabriel said jovially. When Rich laughed in response, it was music to both his and Loki’s ears, and the archangel and trickster god exchanged a loving look.

 

* * *

 

The Boss called MG into her office almost immediately after she heard him knock. She didn’t look up as he approached, keeping her eyes on the several glowing orbs of rainbow lights that hovered above her desk. He didn’t say a word, waiting patiently as she made her decisions about where to send the balls of energies.

After several long moments, she waved her hands and the lights shot off in different directions, disappearing into the Ether on their individual journeys. She raised her eyes and looked straight into his, then blinked at his troubled expression.

“What is it?” she said, her voice full of worry.

MG curled his lips in over his teeth, then played with the knots of the bandage on his hand. He seemed unable to form the words he wanted to say.

She leaned back in her chair, trying to think of a way to start what appeared to be a difficult conversation for him. She finally held out her hand and motioned towards his injured one. “Let me fix that,” she said gently. She saw him waver, but he slowly laid his hand onto her palm and she released her energy into the damaged tissue. When it was healed, he quickly pulled it back towards him and nodded his thanks as he removed the makeshift bandage.

“I know that’s not where you’re _really_ hurting, but it’s a start, right?” she said.

He slid both his hands down his face then let his arms fall down to his sides like they weighed like lead. “I don’t know how to talk about this. I tried earlier with Gabriel, and it helped some, but I’m still so… so _conflicted_ , Boss!” He turned around and let out a harsh breath, trying to keep his composure. “I don’t know how to process what’s going through my head. I wasn’t supposed to _be_ like this and I want it to go away, but at the same time…”

The Boss saw his shoulders slump as he started to shake his head, and she didn’t interrupt him. She knew that he needed to get all this out, and she was willing to listen. MG tended to keep his true emotions hidden with snarky humor and banter. However, judging by how he was acting at the moment, she was beginning to suspect that he was experiencing feelings that he had no idea how to cope with.

MG continued speaking, his voice quavering as he tried to control his emotions. “I’m starting to feel lonely again, Boss. Why? It’s always just been me in this world. I’ve never needed anyone else, and nobody ever needed me, so what’s the point?” He turned around and leaned on her desk, his face desperate for answers. “What’s wrong with me?!”

“When did this all start?” she said softly, reaching a hand across the desk and laying it on one of his. He looked down at it and bit his lip, and she was confused at his hesitation. “MG?”

“When the others arrived yesterday,” he whispered. He raised wide and lost-looking eyes up at her. “I saw how close they all looked, how-how they worried and cared for each other. No one has ever done that for me.”

She squeezed his hand. “I do, MG. I’m your friend, not just your superior.”

He jerked his hand away, shouting, “No! That’s not, I mean…” He gripped the hair on the sides of his head and pulled it harshly. “It’s not the same, Boss! I want… the touches, the words…” He closed his eyes tightly. “I don’t know how to say it right.”

She stood and made her way around the desk to take his face in her hands. “MG! Look at me!” she said firmly. She waited until he opened his eyes and she smiled softly in understanding. “Oh, my dear friend. You just want to be loved, don’t you?”

His mouth fell open in shock at her words. There it was: the word he had both been trying to find and avoid ever since this had started.

“I can’t have that, though. Who would want someone like me? WHY would someone want someone like me? I’m not even-”

“You’ve been around Rich too long,” the Boss said, interrupting him. “You’re allowed to have these feelings of wanting to feel special, and wanting to be special to someone else. And if you can’t find that someone in this world, go to another.” She patted his cheek softly. “No one can make you stay here against your will.”

He raised his eyebrows in surprise. “You’d be OK with that? But who would help you here?” His voice was tinged with worry.

She lowered her hands and shrugged. “I would get by, like I did before. Your happiness means more to me than making my job a bit easier.”

MG still looked troubled. “Am I even strong enough? After what happened?”

The Boss gripped his arms. “You are stronger than you think. You have come SO far since you came here. I’ve seen you grow and become more than your creators could ever imagine that you could be. What happened… I know that you’ll never forget it, and it’s difficult to keep from remembering. But I believe in you. You can do this.”

“Boss…” He was touched by her faith in him, yet he was still apprehensive. “But where would I go? There are so many places…”

“You don’t have to decide right now, and to be honest, I could use your help for the time being with getting Rich back on his feet. However,” she smiled warmly, “if you would rather…”

The thought of having a little more time with the Boss and his friends eased his stress, and he also realized that he did want to make sure that Rich was well again.

“No, I would like to stay and see that he makes a full recovery. I’ve grown close to him, and his two boy toys aren’t so bad I guess.” He laughed softly, feeling much better than he had before entering the Boss’ office.

She smiled and couldn’t resist giving him a hug. He froze for a short moment, then returned it.

“Thanks, Boss. Really,” he said.

“Anytime.”

 

* * *

  

Gabriel crawled on to the bed to lay on Rich’s right side while Loki set the empty trays and chairs against the wall. He pulled him against his side and waited until the trickster god laid on the other side of the bed, then they all cuddled together quietly, listening to the stillness of the room and enjoying the touch and warmth of being near one another.

The only sounds that could be heard were their breaths, but Rich sighed now and then, which drew the concern of his lovers.

Loki brushed his knuckles against Rich’s chest and said, “Tell us.” He and Gabriel felt Rich tense in their arms, and the human looked between them warily before answering.

“I don’t want to think about it. I can’t… but…” He swallowed and closed his eyes. “It was so dark,” he whispered.

Gabriel and Loki wrapped themselves around him, offering solace, and Rich shuddered as flashes of his time in the coma ran through his mind.

“I couldn’t stop walking! I didn’t know where I was, or who I was! There were no colors, no sounds, no sky. It was so hot, and everything was dead!” He started to breathe harder, and his hands clutched at Gabriel and Loki’s arms. “And everything hurt so _bad._ I wanted to _die!_ ”

Gabriel pulled Rich’s head to his shoulder and kissed his forehead. “Shhh, Baby. It’s OK. You’re not there anymore. We’re here.” He looked at Loki and felt his eyes glaze over with tears as Rich started to tremble and sob. “That’s it, Baby, let it out. We’ve got you.”

Loki pressed himself closer and pulled them both towards him. “Don’t keep everything inside, right Gabriel? We all need each other.” He smiled softly at his angel, who let his tears fall silently down his face.

“That’s right. We all need each other,” Gabriel agreed. He reached his arm across Rich and grasped Loki’s shoulder, and the three lovers held each other tightly and soothed each other until Rich calmed his crying.

Gabriel kissed his face, tasting the saltiness of his tears. “Never be afraid to tell us how you feel, sweetheart. You can’t handle it all on your own, especially after what you went through.” He held Rich’s gaze and looked deep into his eyes. “We love you, Rich.”

“It’s hard,” Rich said, looking down at their overlapping arms across his chest. “So much has happened, and I’ve discovered so much about us today. I want to say things, but my brain tells me one thing, my heart another.” He looked back at Gabriel, then over at Loki. “I’m not exactly the same person who helped create you guys anymore.”

“We’re not exactly the same either,” Loki replied. He raised a hand and ran his thumb over Rich’s chin. “And I’m not complaining. I was a bit of an asshole.”

Gabriel barked out a laugh. “Excuse me? ‘Was’? Would you like to rephrase that?”

“And yet _he_ is still an annoying son of a bitch,” Loki said, glaring at the archangel.

“Well I guess you can’t improve on perfection,” Gabriel said, smiling smugly.

Rich laughed softly. “I see what you mean,” he said to Loki.

Loki kissed him gently on the lips, then reluctantly pulled himself away from him. “I think it’s time for me to say goodnight. You need to rest.” He quickly brushed a hand through Rich’s hair when the human’s face fell. “I’ll be here first thing in the morning, I promise.”

Rich nodded and smiled. “OK.”

Gabriel started to make kissing noises and pursed his lips at Loki, who rolled his eyes and leaned over Rich to kiss him quickly on the mouth. “You’re such a bratty little shit, you know that?” he said as he pulled back.

“Yeah, but you love me anyway,” Gabriel said. He sat up and kicked off his shoes and threw them to the floor at the end of the bed, then shucked off his pants and socks. He took off his jacket, then handed his clothes to Loki. “Set these on one of the chairs, will ya? I’ll just sleep in my shirt and boxers tonight.”

“I could go get your pajama pants.”

“Really? Thanks, Babe!”

Loki glowered at him, then threw his clothes in his face. “Be right back,” he said as he turned and left for their room.

“You planned all that, didn't you?” Rich said, trying and failing to keep from grinning.

Gabriel pulled a sock off his head. “I never give away my secrets!” he chirped.

They turned their heads as they heard Loki stomp back into the room.

“Here’s your fucking pants!” he snapped, tossing them on the bed. He looked at Rich, though the ire in his face disappeared entirely once his eyes settled on the human. “Have a good night,” he said, then carded a hand through his hair.

He glared at Gabriel. “You owe me,” he said, then turned around and stalked out through the room’s entrance.

“I love you too, Sugar Lips!” Gabriel called after him.

“Fuck off!” they heard Loki shout from outside the room.

“Any time, any place!” Gabriel retaliated.

The sound of the barrier going up was Loki’s reply.

Rich looked over at Gabriel and shook his head. “You like pushing his buttons, don’t you?”

Gabriel shrugged and scooted to the end of the bed to stand up. “He looks hot when he’s all fired up. I can’t help it,” he said as he took off his shirt and boxers. He grabbed his pajama pants off the bed then looked up at Rich and tilted his head. “You OK?”

Rich was doing his best not to look directly at Gabriel. When the archangel had stripped naked, his cock had bounced between his legs, and though it wasn’t fully erect, it was half hard with his thinking about a certain angry, attractive trickster god. The sight of Gabriel’s nude body in front of him was making Rich squirm, and he shifted his legs to keep his sudden arousal from being noticed.

“N-Nothing, just tired,” he said. He pulled his legs up and slipped under the bed’s blanket, quickly rolling over onto his side and facing the wall. He then willed his erection to go down before Gabriel joined him.

“Yeah, it has been a long day,” Gabriel said, pulling his sleepwear on over his legs. He walked over to the chairs and flung his clothes onto them. He searched the wall for the mechanism to dim the lights, then got into bed.

He pressed himself against Rich’s back and wrapped an arm around his torso. “Are you comfortable? Warm enough? Do I need to get another blanket for you?” he asked.

“N-No, I’m fine,” Rich stammered, doing his best not to moan at the feel of Gabriel’s warm skin through the thin shirt he wore, and the feel of his breath against his neck. What was wrong with him? He was allowed to touch and be touched!

“Rich? What’s wrong?” Gabriel asked, raising himself up and over Rich so he could look down at him.

Damn him and his perceptiveness! “I… Well…” Rich rolled onto his back and gasped at the expression on Gabriel’s face. He seemed just as flustered as he was! “I want... “

“Oh, I do too, Baby, but I’m not sure if you’re strong enough right now,” Gabriel said. He leaned down and kissed him softly, and Rich moaned and opened his mouth for him.

Gabriel couldn’t help but slip his tongue into his human’s mouth and lick into it, swiping their tongues together and mixing and sharing their saliva. They each drank their kisses, moans, and groans; it had been so long since they had kissed one another this way.

Rich grasped Gabriel’s shoulder when Gabriel pulled his lips away. “M-More…” he gasped. He felt hot and heavy, and his hair was sticking to the sides of his face.

“I don’t plan to stop kissing you, Baby,” Gabriel said, licking his swollen, red lips. His eyes were glazed, and he had spittle dripping down his chin.

“No, I want _more_ ,” Rich said, pressing his swollen cock against his thigh.

Gabriel’s eyes widened. “Rich…” He flung the blanket off of them both, then reached down and started to tug the long shirt up Rich’s waist. The human eagerly went to help, lifting his hips so he could pull it up his torso and over his head. It was thrown to the floor, and Gabriel looked hungrily at him. He was slightly thinner, yes, but still so beautiful.

“I can’t take you, Rich, but I can make you feel _so good_ ,” Gabriel whispered. He used his hands to strip himself of his pants, then slipped Rich’s underwear down his legs. He tossed them both to the end of the bed before pressing their cocks together.

They both groaned when their hot, throbbing flesh touched. “Gabriel...” Rich gasped, lifting his hips and rubbing against the archangel’s length. “Mmmm.”

“Feel good, Baby? You like our cocks being together?” Gabriel asked. He moved his hips slightly, letting the veins on the bottom of their shafts glide gently up and down together. “You feel that? Feel how hard and stiff we are against each other?”

“Y-Yes…” Rich moaned, rolling his head on his pillow. He spread his legs, and Gabriel settled between them and pressed harder against his cock. “Oh! OH!”

“I love hearing you make those sounds. I’ve missed them,” Gabriel sighed. He lowered his head and licked up his sternum, then moved his mouth over to suck one of Rich’s nipples into his mouth. He bit softly with his teeth, and Rich jerked his hips against him, making them both groan deeply.

Gabriel released his nipple with a wet popping sound. “Someone likes getting their tits sucked, don’t they?” he said, then went to suck Rich’s other nipple harder than the first.

“Ah!” Rich gasped. “Yes! Suck me! Please!”

“Do you want me to suck your nipples or play with your cock, Baby?” Gabriel said, removing his mouth. He lowered his hand and ran his finger teasingly over the slit of Rich’s weeping cock. “Look at you, dripping with want for me. Do you want to cum?”

“I do, so bad. Haven’t cum in so long…”

Gabriel slicked his hand in grace, then wrapped it around both his and Rich’s dicks. “Do you want both our cum on your skin, Baby? All mixed together and hot and sticky? Wanna feel our cocks jerking as it spurts out of us?”

“Fuuuck…” Rich moaned. “I love your filthy mouth…”

“Hmm, I know you do. Ready, sweetheart?” Gabriel dragged his fist up their cocks, and watched with delight as pleasure suffused Rich’s face.

“Yes! Oh yes!” Rich cried, arching his back and spreading his legs wider.

Gabriel moved his hand down, then started to stroke their cocks together, slow and torturous strokes, wanting to drive them both mad with want. He watched as Rich’s face became more and more flushed, and his breath hitched along with his human’s.

Eventually their cocks were slick with grace and precum, and Gabriel removed his hand and held himself above Rich so he could use his hips to firmly grind himself up and down against Rich at the same steady rhythm. Their lengths slid smoothly along each other, the sensitive undersides of their dicks rubbing hard against the bulging veins of the other. Their balls moved and rolled together, and the bed started to creak as Gabriel’s hips moved a bit faster the closer they got to finding their pleasure.

They continued at this pace for what felt like hours to Rich, Gabriel pulling harsh, desperate, throaty moans from the human. Every so often he would push the tip of his cock up above Rich’s and drag the bottom ridges of its mushroom-shaped head down over his slit, and Rich would wail and beg for him to do it again.

“Rich!” the archangel moaned, feeling the stirrings of his climax in his groin, “Mmm, your cock feels so good against mine, Baby. So wet… So hot… Gonna cover you in my cum…” Gabriel tossed his head back and ground his hips hard against Rich, feeling once again how intense his pleasure was with low grace.

Rich arched his back, feeling his balls lift and start to tighten. “So close… gonna cum… g-gonna…”

“Do it! Cum for me, Baby! Make yourself all messy!” Gabriel shouted, and rutted his hips and cock sharply against him.

“Uh! UH! _UHHH!!!_ ” Rich shouted, his release shooting across his stomach and chest.

Gabriel immediately followed, pulsing against Rich’s dick and mixing his hot spunk with the human’s. He held himself above Rich, relishing in the feeling of their cocks slowly softening together, of feeling sloppy, their pubic hair all matted with their combined fluids.

He looked down at Rich and they gazed at each other with adoration. “Damn I love you, you know that?” he said. He shifted his hips and Rich groaned, raising his own to meet him. “Mmm, so good, Baby,” he purred.

Rich smiled in contentment, then dipped a finger into the slick on his chest and raised it to his lips. He got an odd expression on his face as he sucked it clean, then smiled. “That explains a lot,” he said.

Gabriel blinked curiously. “What?”

“Loki. It explains a lot.”

“What about Loki?”

“Cherries. You taste like cherries.”

Comprehension dawned on Gabriel’s face. “Ah, I see that you’ve discovered one of the great mysteries of our resident Grumpy Face.” He lifted himself off of Rich, who complained a bit about him leaving, and went to the bathroom for a washcloth.

“I had wondered why he ate them the way he did the first time I met him. It was… erotic,” Rich said, watching him exit the bathroom after wiping himself clean.

Gabriel nodded knowingly as he walked over and sat next to Rich on the bed. “He has an oral fixation, and I have to admit, it’s a gift! His mouth and tongue…” He shivered. “You just wait until he uses it on you. He can spend hours doing it if you let him.”

“Mmm, I can’t wait either,” Rich hummed, remembering their first time all together. He looked at his chest and swirled his finger in the fluid so he could taste it once more.

“Careful, or you’ll become addicted to that.”

Rich looked up at him. “That can happen?” He then gasped and flung his arms above his head as Gabriel suddenly lowered his head and started to suck and lick up their combined seminal fluids from his skin. He worked slowly and methodically, not missing one drop from his chest or abdomen, and gently cleaned between his legs as well.

“Dammit, Gabriel, look at what you did to me,” Rich whined when the archangel raised his head and dropped his half-swollen cock from his mouth.

“It’s all good, Baby, because I’m always down for a ‘happy meal’,” Gabriel said, wiggling his eyebrows and licking his lips with relish.

Rich moaned and rolled his head back, lifting his hips as Gabriel hungrily engulfed him in his mouth.

 _Dinner is served_ , he thought.

 

* * *

  

Loki stalked down the pathway towards the Boss’ office. He was going to get Gabriel later for his stunt, but for now he had other important matters to attend to.

He didn’t even bother to knock once he reached the entrance to the Guardian’s quarters. He barged right on in, expecting her to demand why he had dared to enter her chambers. However, he was in for a surprise.

She raised her eyes and folded her hands under her chin and smiled casually at him. “I’ve been expecting you,” she said. She held one of her hands out before her. “Please, come have a seat.”

He watched a chair materialize from the floor, and he narrowed his gaze. “Figures.” He walked forward and sat on the seat’s edge, keeping his eyes upon her face. “I’m assuming you also know why I’ve come.”

“And you should also know the answer to the main reason why you’ve come.”

He sat up straight. “What the hell are you talking about? The main _reasons_ why I’m here are in a room down that hallway!” he half-shouted, his nostrils flaring as he pointed towards the door behind him.

“Very well. Tell me what you want to say and we’ll go from there.”

He glared at her, annoyed at how calm she remained in the face of his anger. “Fine,” he said. He leaned back in the chair and steepled his fingers. “You’ve already gave your reasons for not transporting us all here as soon as Rich became ill. I’m still pissed about it, but seeing as how Rich is going to be OK…” He looked away and sighed.

“So it must be from before then,” the Boss said.

He snapped his eyes back to her. “Damn straight it is! This all could’ve been avoided if you’d just seen me that first time! If you’d just teleported me straight here like you did MG and Rich!”

“Loki, think back to that time. What was going on? What did you do?”

“What do you mean ‘What did I do’? I went to Earth, waited for Gabriel and Rich to finish their parts. Gabriel didn’t show up when he was supposed to, so I came back here.” His eyes hardened and his fists clenched. “I then tried to climb that fucking mountain, but after two days I had to give up because it’s just impossible on your own, and I had no choice but to go back and ask for Rich’s help! And look what happened! He almost died! Which _you_ could’ve prevented if you had just let me know where Gabriel was in the first place!”

The Boss stood and came around her desk to perch on its corner to Loki’s right. “And do you remember what happened during your trek up the mountain? What you thought about while you climbed during those two days?”

Loki scoffed. “Of course I did! I thought about finding Gabriel! What I would say to you so I could hopefully convince you to help me find him! I was worried about him!”

She tilted her head slightly and looked straight into his eyes. “Was that _all_ that you thought about, Loki? Nothing else?”

“Why would I think of anything else?” Loki said, digging his fingers into the arm of the chair.

“What did you see before you returned from Earth? Did none of that go through your mind while you struggled through the snow? Not one thought of what you had witnessed while waiting for Gabriel to make his way over?”

“I…” Loki blinked, then closed his eyes as memories of his first short time on the mountain flashed through his mind:

 

_Alone, cold. Trudging through the frigid wind and snow. Trying to stay warm at night with just his own body heat._

_Thinking of Gabriel, his angel._

_But then, he also thought of Rich, too._

_Seeing Rich sitting alone in a corner booth of a bar, staring vacantly at an empty glass of whiskey. Face drawn, eyes hollow. No sign of a smile. No spark of that laughter in his eyes._

_Rich walking down the sidewalk, head down, paying no attention to where he was going. Saying nothing to the people who yelled and cursed at him when he bumped into them._

_Rich putting on a mask of good cheer for his co-stars while filming and directing, then dragging himself back to his trailer and sitting inside it with the lights off, ignoring the phone calls from his family._

_Rich finally telling his personal assistant to tell his family that he’s sorry, that he’s been ‘too busy’, and that he’ll get in touch with them as soon as he can._

_Rich drinking every night that he’s able to get away with, and only eating because he had to._

 

Loki’s eyes snapped open, and he looked up at the Boss.

“Rich,” he whispered. “I thought of Rich, too.”

She crossed her arms and looked at him kindly. “The point of the trek up the mountain isn’t for me to keep pesky people away, or to make it hard for you, or to try to kill or hurt you. No one dies, or gets seriously hurt for that matter. The point of the journey is to make you think about the real reason why you want to ask me for answers or help, and also whether or not you can find those answers within yourself on your own.

“I didn’t stop you from getting here. You realized deep down that Rich needed you, and that you needed him. And lo and behold, once you two were together, you found Gabriel. Do you not see how it worked?”

Loki was at a loss for words. All his anger and resentment for the cosmic being before him evaporated at her revelation, and he found himself filled with gratitude.

“I’m guessing that my and Gabriel’s recent trek was for more than one reason too, wasn’t it?” he said.

She smiled. “Now you’re getting it.”

“And I’m guessing this is me being overwhelmed by past memories as well…”

“Yeah, it seems yours went hand-in-hand sadly.”

Loki ran a hand over his mouth. “Will there be more?”

“Maybe. But now that you know how they are, you should be able to handle how you react to them. And,” she looked directly at him, “you may be able to help Gabriel with his.”

“Glad to hear that at least something good came out of all of this,” Loki said. He stood and made his way to the door. Before opening it he paused, turning his head to give her a nod.

She returned the gesture.

And that was that.

 

* * *

  

The next day after breakfast the Boss had Rich walking slowly up and down the pathway of the Summit. He had first demanded his own pair of pajama pants prior to leaving his room, and MG had quickly provided him with the clothing. He’d also been given back his glasses.

Loki and Gabriel insisted on supporting him on either side in case he fell, and the Boss walked backwards in front of him, gauging his progress. MG followed behind them, ready to assist if needed. Rich made several trips along the pathway before the Boss suggested that he try a few steps on his own. Gabriel looked worried at first, but was appeased when reminded of the fact that there were four others nearby to catch him if he were to fall.

“Ready?” Loki asked, preparing to release his hold on the human’s arm. Rich looked at him and nodded. He turned his head and smiled at Gabriel softly. “I’ll be fine, Gabriel. I know you’ll catch me.”

“I’ll always catch you,” Gabriel promised. As one, he and Loki took their hands away, though they hovered as Rich found his balance. “You OK?”

“Y-Yeah. Just give me a second.” Rich took a deep breath, then took a small step. He smiled, then took another. “All good,” he said.

It took a while, but he was able to walk halfway down the path before he started to feel more confident. He almost made it to the entrance to the tunnel when the Boss said, “Good job! I think by lunch you should be getting around on your own!”

The trio all turned their heads to stare at her. “That fast?” Gabriel said in disbelief.

“Yes! You three are all perfectly in sync now. Richard is just about where he should be, and you two as well.”

Loki laid his hand upon his chest. “So that means we’re all changed, too.”

“Yes.”

“Does that mean I’m not human anymore, and they’re not…” Rich trailed off, not sure exactly how to finish his question.

“You’re all still yourselves, but of both your worlds. You have two homes now, if you want.”

Rich looked contemplative for a moment, then hesitantly asked, “They’re immortal, I’m not. But this… They said that they wouldn’t let me die, but if this changed all of us…” He looked at his lovers. “Will we _all_ just live normal lives now? Or just longer than normal lives?”

The Boss shook her head. “You always need to know all the answers, don’t you Rich?” She stepped forward and took his hands in hers. “Here in this world, time has no meaning. All my charges live as long as no one forgets them. It’s almost unheard of for someone to cease to exist, even ones that are created and are never used are still here, because their creators still have them in their memories, or they were written down in a notebook or saved in a file.”

“But what happens if the creator dies, or the file is destroyed?” Rich asked.

“ _More_ questions?” the Boss teased. “The unused characters usually come to someone like me, and I send them to the Ether.”

“Wait the ‘Ether’? ‘Someone’ like you? I’m not following,” Rich said, shaking his head.

“I’m a child of Omnipotence. There is someone like me, a Guardian, that oversees each fictional world and helps to keep things in order. I don’t have complete control of the forces that govern it, but I try to do what I can. The Ether is where all the creative energies that humans use to create exists. Writers, actors, artists. The unused characters draw energy from the Ether, and are able to stay with us. Even characters from unfinished works travel to find homes in other worlds to do the same.”

Her eyes turned sad for a moment. “And I did mean it when I said that it was almost unheard of for a character to cease to exist. As a Guardian, one of our tasks is to always remember each and every one of our charges. But,” she noticed MG looking at her anxiously, “sometimes we Guardians get a sense that there is something missing, and those times we wonder if that may be a sign of a character who slipped away and was Purged from us.”

She looked at Gabriel and Loki, shaking her head. “But I digress. The Ether is also what keeps your powers warded. I’m able to offer a little leeway so you can both be a little more comfortable. MG had mentioned how disconcerting it had felt the first time he visited here, so I managed to find a small loophole for your types of characters.”

There was silence for a second at the Guardian’s abrupt change of demeanor, but Gabriel quickly followed her lead to help smooth things along, as he was wont to do in these situations.

“Can’t say that I’m not glad for it. You have NO idea what those wards do to my wings!” Gabriel said, shrugging his shoulders left and right, then looked at MG. “Know what I mean?”

MG blinked. “Uh, yeah! It’s a pain in the ass!”

Rich decided to follow along too, and he also had more questions anyway. “So the Ether… and you… A child of Omnipotence? There’s more than one of you? Omnipotence is a being? A sentient being? Like a parent?”

“Yes, I have what are equivalent to siblings, and I think of Omnipotence as the ultimate Muse. It influences us all, don’t you think?” She gave all four of the persons in front of her a meaningful look. “There are many forces out there that we can’t see, but they work on us regardless. Questioning them, and trying to fight against them, is what makes our lives worth living in the end.”

“And what Rich asked: how are we going to end our lives? Will we get old and die? Can we get killed?” Loki asked, hooking his arm with one of Rich’s. He saw Gabriel do the same on the human’s other side.

“Here, you would live as long as you wanted. On Earth, you would age very slowly. Noticeably slowly,” she said, looking straight at Rich. “You have the option of living where you would like, and you can cross over back and forth whenever you would want. As to dying from harm, or sickness, you wouldn’t be as... susceptible.”

All three blinked.

MG sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “She means that if you were hurt badly, or got seriously ill, that you would heal quickly enough that it wouldn’t kill you. You’d just feel like shit for a shorter amount of time than you should.” He looked at the Boss and shook his head. “You Guardians and your inability to just simply answer questions without making everything complicated.”

“And since our powers will be limited, I’m guessing that it wouldn’t be a good idea to use them to speed that up either, would it?” Gabriel asked. When the Boss shook her head, he smiled wanly. “Thought so.”

Rich sighed, thinking over her words. It was a big decision to make, which world to reside in; he would have to talk to Gabriel and Loki about it before choosing. “Thank you, Boss,” he said. He then turned to MG. “You too,” he added.

MG shrugged. “It was nothing. Glad you’re still here,” he said, smiling in the way that was uniquely him.

The Boss squeezed his hands. “You three are always welcome here. I have grown fond of you in the short time we’ve known each other. I think it’s because of seeing so many versions of your face,” she said, winking at them.

“We’re just all hot, Boss, admit it!” MG snarked.

“I’ve been trying to tell _him_ that!” Gabriel said, cutting his eyes at Loki.

Rich looked at the Boss and sighed. “See what I have to live with?” he said.

“I think you’ll be happy regardless,” she said, dropping his hands. “Now, get some lunch, and consider yourself healed.” She looked at MG. “Prepare a room for all three of them when you get time later.”

“Dokie okie, Boss Lady!” MG said, shooting her a thumbs-up.

“I’ll see you all tomorrow. I’ve a long line of people who are waiting for a trip to the Ether,” she said. She waved goodbye to them, then made her way to the office.

 

* * *

  

The Boss sat at her desk a few moments later and sighed. It had been a very busy couple of weeks. She set to the task of transporting the globes of light that represented the essences of the characters needing creative energies.

She hadn’t meant to get so morbid in her explanation of the Ether to Rich. She wasn’t lying when she had told him about the empty feeling that Guardians got from time to time. It was disconcerting, and only certain Guardians ever felt it.

She had almost felt it once, and she never wanted to risk that again.

She then thought about the current troubles of MG, and wondered what she could do for him.

He needed to go to a world where there were beings like him, but she wasn’t aware of such a place. She could contact one of her siblings, see if they overlooked a world that was created that way. But it would be hit or miss, and there were so many worlds to sift through.

She paused when a thought hit her: maybe she could ask Rich if he knew! Of course! He would know about many different types of places!

She smiled, hope dawning within her. MG’s chance at happiness might be closer than he thought!


	3. Now Is The Start

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW aesthetic towards end of fic made by my dear friend Crimson_Rose_Poet

After lunch, MG led them up the pathway to an alcove and gestured them inside. “There ya go, boys. All the comforts of home. I’m sure you can figure out where everything is by now," he said, standing aside. There was an extra-large king bed that dominated the center of the room, and a door opposite that led to a bathroom. A chest of drawers was set to its left. The rest of the room was otherwise spartan.

“Thanks, MG,” Rich said, turning and smiling at the angel. He walked over to the bed and plopped down onto the edge. “Wow, this thing is comfy! I want to take a nap right now!” He fell flat on his back. “It’s a lot better than the other bed.”

MG chuckled. “I’ll be sure to let the Boss know that.” He looked over at Gabriel. “Say, can I talk to you for a bit? It’s about yesterday.” He chewed the inside of his cheek and cocked his head back towards the outside of the room. “I don’t mean to bother you guys, but-”

“No, it’s OK. Friends, remember?” Gabriel said, patting his shoulder. He looked at Loki and Rich and smiled. “Be back afterwhile fellas.” He left with MG, waving a hand behind him to lower the room’s wall.

“What’s that all about?” Rich asked Loki, sitting up and crossing his legs on the bed.

“Apparently they made friends,” Loki said, sitting down next to him. He wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him close. “Are you tired?”

Rich stretched his arms above his head. “A little, but I think I’ll be fine. I am feeling a lot better.” He leaned his head on Loki’s shoulder. “I’m glad I get to be near you guys all the time now.”

Loki ran his hand up the side of Rich’s arm to his neck. “We are too.” He caressed the smooth skin of his throat with his fingers, then raised them to brush across his face. “I’m also glad we’re alone,” he added, nuzzling his temple.

“Me too,” Rich sighed, turning his head to look up at him. His lips then met Loki’s, and they kissed softly for a few moments. “Loki...” he said when they pulled apart, closing his eyes as he felt and heard his lover remove both their clothes.

“Lay down, Baby,” Loki said, gently pushing him back onto the bed. He moved over him, kissing down his throat and chest, roaming his hands over the planes of his human’s body. “I’ve been wanting to taste you with my mouth for so long. Do you want my tongue on you? Making you wet and open?”

Rich mewled at Loki’s words and touches. “Yes, please. Lick me open for your cock. Want it…” He spread his legs wide when he felt the trickster’s hands smooth up the inside of his legs, and he raised his hips eagerly.

Loki circled Rich’s belly button slowly with his tongue, then kissed lower and flicked the slit of his cock with its tip, catching the drops of precum that were beading from it. “Taste so good already,” he said, eyeing how Rich’s dick was laying hard and full against his stomach. He kissed down the back of it along its thick vein, then licked his tongue slowly back up and sucked the head between his lips softly.

“Uh!” Rich choked out a moan and arched his back. “Ahh... Mmmm…”

The trickster removed his mouth from Rich’s cock then moved down to his sensitive sac, licking and sucking at his testes briefly before placing a wet open-mouthed kiss to his wrinkled hole.

“Ah!” Rich cried out. “Ohhh, yes…” He fisted the blankets under his hands, breathing deeply through his mouth and nose. “There, there!”

“Is that what you want? You want me to slick you up with my spit? Tongue fuck you until you beg me to stick my fingers in you?” Loki said. He swiped his tongue lazily across Rich’s tight muscle, and smiled inwardly when he pushed himself against his face. “Oh, you do, don’t you? Want me to suck that hole too, hmm?”

He pushed Rich up further into the middle of the bed and lay on his stomach between Rich’s outstretched legs. “Hold your legs up for me, Baby,” Loki instructed, and Rich grasped the underside of his knees with his hands and pulled them up to either side of his chest, keeping them spread obscenely wide for his lover. Loki then pushed his hands underneath Rich’s ass and pulled his hips towards his face so he could give him slow but firm laps against his tight bud, spreading saliva all around the orifice to make it glisten.

“Oh fuck!” Rich cried, throwing his head back and gasping. It was so good! Gabriel was right: Loki’s tongue and mouth were incredible! He never wanted him to stop!

Loki pulled away and raised his eyes to look at Rich. “You enjoying this, Baby? You taste so delicious… I knew you would.” He lowered his eyes and saw the human’s entrance twitch. “You want more?”

“Yes! More! Don’t stop! Please don’t stop!” Rich begged, feeling his cock flex against his abdomen with every quiver of his hole.

“Mmm, I can’t resist such a tasty ass,” Loki said, his mouth watering at the sight of Rich’s wet, furled opening. He dove back down and swirled his tongue rapidly around it, drawing moans from his human that sent shocks of pleasure straight to his dick. He groaned against Rich, which made him moan even louder.

“Ahn… ahn…” Rich panted, feeling sweat break out on his skin. “Feels so good. Your tongue… Nnngghh… FUCK!”

Loki pierced him with his tongue and twisted it at the very entrance of his channel, moving it slowly in and out of him. He felt the muscle of Rich’s hole grasp tightly around his tongue, and he pressed deeper inside each time he entered. Soon he was moving it rapidly, fucking him with his mouth, and Rich was chanting his name over and over.

When Rich’s rim began to ease up slightly against his lips, Loki took his tongue away and Rich whimpered. “Shh, Baby. You’re open enough for a finger. See?” He raised his hand and Rich saw him rub his digits together, and he watched as they became slippery from the trickster’s magic. “You want to be fucked by my fingers too?”

Rich sucked in his breath and nodded. “Yeeessss…”

Loki lowered his hand and circled his index finger firmly around Rich’s rim, then pressed it into him. He smiled as Rich’s hole seemed to suck it inside him. “Oh Baby, your hole is hungry for a good fuck. You should see it taking my finger.” He began to thrust it into him quickly, making Rich gasp and groan. “Oh yes, your hole is begging for my cock.”

“Love your cock. Your _and_ Gabriel's cocks,” Rich gasped, throwing his head back. “Always want them.”

“Hmm, you’ll get them whenever you want them, Baby,” Loki said, then slipped in his middle finger.

“OH!” Rich cried, pulling his legs apart wider. “So good! So good!” he panted. His cock leaked heavily on his stomach, and he was surprised that he hadn’t cum yet; maybe it was part of his transformation, but he’d think on that later. “Please… I want you inside me…”

“Almost. You’re almost ready, Baby,” Loki said, his breath hitching as he listened to the squelching sound of his fingers moving hard and fast inside of the human’s hole. He watched them disappear in and out of Rich’s channel, and felt his heavy cock throb almost painfully between his stomach and the bed beneath him. Rich cried out in pleasure.

“Just a little bit more,” Loki said. “Hang on, Baby.” He quickly slid in his ring finger and brushed it against Rich’s prostate, making the human wail. “Yes, right there Baby. Gonna make you feel even better in a minute.” He finished prepping Rich open the rest of the way, then pulled his fingers out slowly.

“You want my cock now, Baby?” Loki asked, pushing himself up and moving to sit against the headboard of the bed. He wrapped his hand around himself and spread the slickness that remained on his fingers around it.

Rich turned his head and gazed at him, his eyes wide and filled with lust. “Oh… Yes...” he said between ragged breaths. He lowered his legs and rolled onto his side, panting. “Please…”

Loki patted the tops of his thighs. “Come on then, Baby. Come ride my fat cock.”

Rich crawled towards Loki and straddled his lap. Loki grasped his hips and held him over his aching shaft, rubbing the head over Rich’s dripping opening. “You want to fuck yourself on me, Baby? Want me to fill you full of my hot spunk?” He lifted his hips and pressed against him until Rich’s rim stretched around his tip. “Want to make yourself cum all over me?”

Rich trembled and grabbed at Loki’s forearms. “Yes! Yes! I need it! I’m gonna go crazy if you don’t fuck me!” he cried, looking desperately into Loki’s eyes.

“Get ready, Rich,” Loki growled.

He slowly lowered Rich onto him, and they both shuddered and groaned as Rich’s warm, wet tightness enveloped his cock. Rich leaned forward and placed his hands on Loki’s shoulders once he was fully sheathed and sought his lips, and Loki grasped the back of his head with one hand and smashed their lips together. He rolled his groin against him and swallowed Rich’s moans of pleasure.

Rich pulled back and sat up straight, then braced his legs so he could start bouncing on Loki’s dick. He opened his mouth in surprise at how good it felt; he had never done this position before. Loki reached around Rich and grabbed the globes of his ass in his hands, spreading them apart and pulling him up and down harder on him. He started to thrust up into his hole, their skin smacking together loudly, and Rich cried out as the pleasure intensified.

“It feels so good!” Rich panted, slamming his hips down as Loki slammed up into him. “I-I didn’t know!” He closed his eyes and let his head roll to the side as he continued to ride Loki’s cock, moaning and groaning. Beads of perspiration broke out across their bodies from their exertions, the bed’s springs jolted from their movements, and the slap of skin-on-skin became wet and raunchy.

“You just wait, Baby,” Loki said, gripping Rich’s ass tightly with his fingers. “We have so much more we want to do to you to make you scream and cum for us.”

“Yes! Yes! YES!” Rich cried, feeling Loki thrust hard against his sweet spot. He opened his eyes when Loki raised his knees behind him.

“What are you…?” he asked as he felt Loki press his back against the top of his thighs.

“Spread your legs, Baby. I want to see you,” Loki panted. He watched Rich move his legs apart, then moaned as the new position gave him a luscious view of his cock moving in and out of Rich’s tight orifice. It eagerly gripped his cock and tried to draw him back inside each time he pulled out. Their bodies slid smoothly against each other, they were dripping with so much sweat. Rich’s dick bobbed up and down against his stomach with every thrust of Loki’s hips, and the trickster god licked his lips at the sight.

“Touch yourself,” he gasped, moving Rich faster and harder on him. He licked his lips again as Rich grasped himself and moved his hand frantically on his swollen flesh. “Are you close, Baby? You ready to cum? Want me to fill you up full?”

Rich whined and nodded his head, unable to articulate any words as his prostate was pounded relentlessly, rolling his thumb over the slit of his cock firmly.

“Cum for me, Baby. Let me see you fall you apart,” Loki breathed brokenly, his orgasm imminent. He gave a sharp thrust against Rich, and the human shouted as he came, stripes of cum landing on Loki’s abdomen and chest. Rich continued to milk his dick as Loki kept ramming himself into him, seeking his own release while Rich’s channel spasmed and contracted around his cock.

“So beautiful, Baby. Feel so tight… Gonna pump you full…” Loki closed his eyes and bit his lip as his hips stuttered against Rich. He slammed him down hard on his cock as it shot out ribbons of hot cum into his passage, throwing his head back and yelling Rich’s name.

Rich sat up and fell forward, not caring that he landed onto his fluids. He and Loki rocked through the vestiges of their orgasms, wrapping their sweaty, sticky arms around one another and catching their breaths.

Loki ran his fingers down the slick skin of Rich’s back once silence had settled over the room, feeling a sense of contentment and peace overcome him. He kissed the side of Rich’s face, and warmth spread through his chest and he welcomed it. He was starting to enjoy this feeling after sex. Rich nuzzled his throat and sighed at the touch, murmuring soft words against Loki’s skin, and shuddered.

“Are you alright?” Loki asked suddenly, concerned that he’d been too rough. He rolled Rich beneath him and studied his face.

Rich smiled and placed his hands around Loki’s neck. “I feel amazing,” he said, and pulled Loki down to kiss him passionately. They lost themselves in the kiss for several long moments, then pulled apart for air. “I love you, Loki.”

Rich gasped when Loki wrapped him tightly in his arms. “I-I do too,” he said, hiding his head in Rich’s shoulder.

“Loki?” Rich asked, holding onto him just as tightly. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

Loki shook his head. “I’m just happy that I’m here with you, in my arms,” he said.

“I’m happy too,” Rich said, then sighed tiredly.

“Let’s get cleaned up and sleep for a while,” Loki said. He didn’t move.

“Yeah, sounds like a good plan.” Rich didn’t move either.

“You know we really should-”

“Yeah, let’s go.”

 

* * *

 

 

“...and that’s what the Boss said.”

Gabriel raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Wow. That’s pretty heavy, man.” He tilted his head at the angel. “So, what are you thinking about everything now?”

MG leaned against the wall of his room, folding his arms and sighing. “Well, to be honest, I’m kinda nervous at the moment.”

“Nervous? I figured now you’d be at least a little relieved after the Boss offered her help,” Gabriel said.

“Well, yeah, sure, of course. But what if…” He looked to the side, then stood up straight and started to pace back and forth. “What if it doesn't work out? What if I never find anyone?” He stopped and looked at Gabriel. “What if I _do_ find someone, and then find someway to screw it all up?”

Gabriel held his hands up and took a step towards the angel, seeing that he was working himself up to an anxiety attack. “Hey, take it easy, OK? Part of putting yourself out there is to risk getting hurt.”

“I don’t know if I can handle that,” MG said in a small voice, closing his eyes and wrapping his arms around himself. “It’s…”

“You don’t want to make yourself vulnerable. You don’t want anyone to get past those walls you’ve built around yourself, because once they have, you’re crippled and defenseless.”

MG opened his eyes and nodded. “Yes! That’s it! That’s exactly what it is!”

“MG, I can’t make any promises that things will go easy and smoothly for you. But,” Gabriel smiled fondly as he thought of the two people he cared for above all else in all the worlds that existed, “when you find what you’re looking for, it makes all that you went through worth it. _So_ worth it.”

“All of it? The pain? Loneliness? Everything?” MG asked. “Even if I have to go through it over and over again?”

Gabriel lay a hand on the angel’s shoulder and grasped it firmly. “Your world will change, my friend.” He stepped back and placed his hands in the pockets of his jeans, smirking at him.

MG mulled over his words. “You really think so?”

“It happened to me. Why couldn’t it happen to you?” Gabriel replied. He smiled cockily at the angel before him, tilting his head. “Besides, you got your looks from my boyfriend, and I say that gives you more than a fair chance of catching someone’s eye.”

“I... “ MG trailed off and cleared his throat. “OK, I get your point, but that’s not _all_ there is to it!” he huffed, glaring halfheartedly at the smug archangel.

Gabriel laughed. “I know, I know. But it’s a start, right?”

There was a moment of awkward silence, and Gabriel tried to figure out if MG wanted him to leave or stay and continue talking. MG looked everywhere but at the archangel, and finally Gabriel sighed in exasperation.

“You’re being too quiet, and that worries me. Spit it out!”

MG jumped at the tone of Gabriel’s voice, and snapped his eyes to his face. “Oh! Well, it’s just… I’m not sure if I should talk to you about this, and I mean, I know it was implied on the show and everything but in fact I never really-”

“MG, you’re babbling.”

“Oh, yeah. Sorry.” He took a deep breath, then blurted: “I’ve never been with someone before!”

Gabriel stared.

MG stared back.

“Wh- _What?!_ ” Gabriel said in disbelief. “You’re fucking kidding me!”

“No, I’m not,” MG said, dead serious. “Whoa, careful! Come here!” he said, noticing that Gabriel’s legs were about to fail him. He led him over to the small desk he had in the corner of the room, setting him down in the chair that sat in front of it. “Here, hold on. I’m gonna get you some water.”

“Yeah, uh, thanks,” Gabriel said, leaning forward and holding his head in his hands. He took deep breaths to try and steady himself, letting the startling news process in his brain.

The sound of MG returning made him raise his head, and he accepted the glass of water that the angel offered. “Thanks,” he said, taking a few sips. He swallowed slowly, then leaned back and looked into his face. “How?” he finally asked.

Instead of answering, MG leaned forward and lay two fingers against the side of Gabriel’s throat to check his pulse. After a few moments, he pulled away and went to sit on his bed across from the desk.

“The writers just implied that I was in porn; it didn’t mean that I had actually _been_ in it.”

Gabriel waited for him to continue, but MG just raised his eyebrows. “That’s it?” Gabriel asked.

“That’s it. You’re looking at a bonafide carrier of the V-Card, mi amigo,” MG said.

“I have to admit, this is definitely something I wasn’t expecting,” Gabriel said, taking another drink of water. “Pesky writers!”

MG shrugged. “Well, I was just a one-off character anyway, remember?” He sighed and looked down at the floor. “Seems fitting.”

“Stop talking about yourself like that. You’re an awesome guy, and you’ll soon learn to see it,” Gabriel said. He emptied his glass, placed it on the desk, then leaned forward on his knees. “So, are you saying you need help or something?”

MG’s eyes widened to the size of saucers. “What? No! Not like THAT!”

Gabriel tossed his head back and laughed. “Sorry, I just had to make sure! I _am_ sorta spoken for, ya know.” He winked, and MG flushed. “So… Wow! You’re basically a blank slate in all of that?”

MG gave him an annoyed smirk. “I’m not some innocent, naive little flower! I’ve had… encounters.” He looked away, cleared his throat, and then back to Gabriel. “I've seen porn too, but because of what I am, people avoid me like the plague for the most part.”

Gabriel was completely lost. “Then why exactly did you tell me all this, MG?” This was weird.

“Well, if I’m going to try to start looking for a relationship with someone, shouldn’t I, ya know, _know_ what to expect?”

“I never thought I’d be having this conversation with someone,” Gabriel said, mostly to himself. “MG,” he said, looking directly at him, “it’s not exactly something you can just describe to someone. It’s different for each person, especially for angels.” He blinked. “Well, I guess I _can_ give you a few pointers there, can’t I?”

MG looked thoughtful. “I’d like that. I know that porn is fake, and learning from you would be beneficial and-”

“MG,” Gabriel interrupted. He frowned, not liking how this conversation was going at all. “MG,” he said again, “you’re not acting like yourself. You’re over-analyzing everything. This isn’t a game, ya know.”

“I know it’s not a-” MG cut himself off and shook his head. “Look, I’ve messed up a lot in my life, OK? I want to do this right! I’m going into this blind and I want to be prepared! From what you told me, it’s gonna suck a lot at first most likely, so I want to do everything I can to make it NOT suck as much as possible!” His face was red by the time he was done with his outburst.

“It’s fine to plan for eventualities, but you’ll drive yourself crazy treating it like a chess game! Life isn’t meant to be lived like that!” Gabriel said, standing and walking over towards him.

MG stood as well and said, “It’s the only way I can handle it, Gabriel. These feelings are new to me. You’ve had eons to get used to them! I was just given bad copies to work with!”

Gabriel ran a hand over his face and sighed. “I know, and I’m sorry about that, I really am. But MG,” he said, looking into the angel’s troubled face, “I’m only saying these things to you because I’m your friend. Remember? We’re friends now? That’s what friends do: let their other friends know that they’re doing something that could be bad for them.”

MG closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “My friend. That’s right, you’re my friend.” He opened his eyes and looked abashed. “I... “

“If you need me to, I’ll talk to the guys about us staying for a little longer.” He clapped MG on the arm and grinned. “Friends help each other out, right?”

“I wish I could explain it better, but there are just some things I can’t talk about. But,” he looked at Gabriel with gratitude, “well, I really don’t know how to thank you.”

“How about you just listen to those pointers I mentioned earlier without interrupting and making it all awkward, and we’ll go from there.”

MG smiled. “Deal.”

 

* * *

 

 

Gabriel went back to his and his lovers’ room after his talk with MG, hoping that the angel would think over their conversation and come to a better decision about what he wanted to do about his situation.

He entered the bedroom and smiled softly when he saw Loki and Rich wrapped around each other in the center of the bed. He knew right away that the two had been intimate, and he felt his heart fill with warmth at the thought. They both had needed time alone to reconnect, just like he and Rich had the previous night.

He quietly removed his shoes and shed his clothes, laying them on top of Loki and Gabriel’s at the end of the bed. He crawled under the blankets and spooned himself against the trickster's back, who stirred and turned his head to look at him.

“Angel,” he whispered sleepily. He smiled as Gabriel lifted his head slightly and kissed him softly. “Everything alright with MG?”

“He’s working through some things.” He frowned, remembering how cryptic the angel had been about some of their conversation. “Some that’ll take longer than others, I think. I’ll tell you more later. Go back to sleep, Sugar,” Gabriel replied quietly, laying his head back down and snuggling closer against him.

“Mmm, what?” they both heard Rich mumble.

“It’s just me, Love. Go back to sleep,” Gabriel said, reaching a hand across Loki and rubbing Rich’s arm gently.

“Hmm, Gabriel…” Rich hummed. He sat up and crawled over Loki, pushing Gabriel to his back so he could lay on top of the archangel. “Cuddles,” he whispered, then yawned against the archangel’s chest. “Love you…”

Gabriel chuckled and wrapped his arms around him. “What did you do to him?” he said to Loki.

Loki rolled over and shrugged. “Gave him a wild ride is all.”

“Must’ve been a hell of a trip,” Gabriel quipped, bringing a hand up to run it through Rich’s hair. The human sighed and raised his head, blinking open his eyes to look into his lover’s face. “Are we keeping you from sleeping, sweetheart?”

“Nuh uh…” Rich said, burying his head into Gabriel’s chest. He soon dozed off, and Loki rolled over to pull the blanket securely up over all three of them.

“He’s so peaceful when he sleeps,” Gabriel said quietly, holding Rich close to him. He turned his head to look at Loki. “He slept better last night, I think. Although…” He hugged the human’s body against him.

“What?” Loki asked.

“I think, subconsciously, he still feels responsible for what happened to us here, with the torture and me killing you and stuff.” He kissed the top of Rich’s head softly. “I hate it.”

Loki kissed the side of Gabriel’s face. “Neither of you are to blame. It’s just how these things are, Angel.”

Gabriel sighed and leaned his head against Loki. “I didn’t like that it happened either. You know that. Having you guys here helps with it all.” He smiled and decided to drop the subject when Rich shifted in his sleep. “I think having one of us near him is helping.”

“Maybe having us both near him will help more, but I still think he’ll always carry the memories of when he was unconscious,” Loki said soberly. He wrapped an arm around the ones he cared about most and tucked them against him.

“Angel,” Loki said once they were comfortably lying against one another. “Follow the advice that you gave me. I’m here.”

“Just be here with me when I need to be here for Rich. too.”

Loki nodded and closed his eyes, and had just started to drift off to sleep when Gabriel’s voice pulled him back to wakefulness.

“Did you feel the difference?”

Loki opened his eyes and looked down at the archangel. “Difference?”

“When we were together the other night, it felt…” Gabriel pursed his lips, trying to find the right words, “well, different! And last night, with Rich, it was the same.”

Loki chuckled as he realized to what his angel was referring. “You mean the side-effects of the wardings.”

“Yes!” Gabriel said. “I have to admit, it makes up for my itching wings.” He adjusted Rich slightly against him and smiled tenderly as the human tightened his arms around his torso in his sleep. “It also makes me wonder if there are any side-effects pertaining to our whole ‘in sync’ situation.”

“She did say that our powers would be the same, but if we used too much-”

“We’d have to rest,” Gabriel finished for him. He looked thoughtful for a moment, then grinned mischievously. “I wouldn’t mind, on occasion, using them to the point that I almost needed to rest. It could lead to a night of sex that would make me pass out cold.” He smiled once more at a small snore from Rich. “In fact, I wouldn’t mind just using enough everyday so we could both sleep at night with him. I’ve actually grown to enjoy it.”

Loki couldn’t help but smile back. “I couldn’t agree more, Angel,” he said. He leaned down and kissed him, then tightened his arms around both his lovers. “Come on, let’s rest a little.”

“Alright,” Gabriel said, closing his eyes and relaxing in the warmth of his trickster and human around him. “Love you.”

“Me too.”

 

* * *

 

 

MG was setting the table in the pantry room when the trio walked in for dinner, looking rested and refreshed. Rich had donned a t-shirt and a pair of jeans similar to what he’d been wearing when MG had first found him all those weeks ago, and the angel gathered that he was glad to be wearing regular clothes once more.

He smiled and motioned for them all to sit. “I was wondering if you guys were going to show up! I got bored and decided to try my hand at something.”

Rich’s face brightened and he went for the nearest chair. “Oh? I didn’t know you could cook, MG!” He reached for the glass of water next to his empty plate and took a drink. “What did you make?”

Gabriel and Loki slowly sat down in the chairs opposite, trying to be polite for politeness’ sake. They were a bit unsure about how dinner would go for the evening.

“Is it safe, MG?” Loki asked, looking pointedly at the angel.

MG huffed. “Of _course_ it’s safe! The Boss made sure that everything in here was OK for Rich to consume.” He picked up a dish of food from the stove behind him, then placed it in the middle of the table.

“I made something from where you live, Rich: hot chicken!” he announced as everyone looked at the plate of golden-brown fried chicken, coated in a deep, red glaze.

“Oh fantastic!” Rich said, grabbing a leg and putting it on his plate. “Anything else?” he asked, looking up at the angel.

MG grinned. “Of course! Here ya go!” he said, turning back around to grab a platter of biscuits and a carafe of gravy. “I hope this enough,” he added as he put them next to the chicken.

“Looks great to me!” Rich said happily, throwing two biscuits on his plate and smothering them in the gravy. He looked up and frowned as he noticed that Gabriel and Loki’s plates were empty. “Aren’t you guys going to eat?”

Gabriel blinked and quickly grabbed a biscuit. “Oh, of course! Was just waiting for you to get what you wanted!” He elbowed Loki, who jumped and grabbed a chicken wing.

“Yes, was making sure you got all you wanted,” he said. He bit hesitantly into the piece of chicken, then coughed and reached for his water.

“Spicy?” Rich asked, reaching for the leg on his plate. He waited for Loki to respond before he took a bite.

Loki took three big swallows of his drink, then put it down on the table. “Just a little,” he said. It was HOT, and he had tasted more than his share of spicy food in his long life. Or maybe it was because of his being changed and having his powers subdued.

“Fantastic!” Rich said. He brought the chicken to his lips and crunched through the crust, closing his eyes at the taste. They then opened wide in delight and he took another. He looked at MG and gave him a thumbs-up.

“It’s good?” MG said, sitting down beside him.

Rich swallowed and wiped his mouth and fingers with a napkin. “It’s incredible! I hardly ever get to have it this spicy!” He took his fork and dug in to his biscuits. “These are amazing too! You’d make someone very happy with the way you cook, MG!”

MG, who had been about to reach for some chicken, paused and cleared his throat. “Uh, yeah, sure,” he said. He sighed and dropped his head into his hands. “But I have so much to learn…” 

Loki and Rich turned to him. “MG?” Rich asked, setting his fork on his plate.

Gabriel calmly picked up his biscuit and nibbled on it. “Ball’s in your court, MG,” he said. He saw Loki glance at him, knowing that he was recalling their brief exchange from earlier.

“MG?” Rich asked, tilting his head at the angel in concern. “Is there something wrong?”

The angel looked at Gabriel, unsure about what he should say. Gabriel dropped his food on his plate and gave him a reassuring nod. “It’s OK, MG. You’re among friends. You can trust us.”

“But,” MG looked around the table at faces that mirrored his own, “it’s so humiliating.”

“MG, we’ve all been there,” Gabriel said gently.

“Been where?” Rich said. He turned his body towards MG and placed a hand on his arm. “MG, you’re shaking! What is it?”

“I’m wanting to find a… well…” MG swallowed, not sure what to say.

“He’s looking for his person,” Gabriel said, unable to stand the feelings of anxiety radiating off of his friend. “He started feeling this way after seeing us. I think we were a good influence on him, boys.” He smiled at his lovers, then looked at MG, who seemed to calm a fraction at his words.

Loki wiped his hands clean with a napkin and pushed his plate to the side. “There’s more, isn’t there?” he said, clasping his hands in front of him on the table.

MG nodded reluctantly. “I’ve never had any real friends until I met you guys, including the Boss. Before that, I just basically annoyed everyone. Never had any relationships. Never, well...” He looked at Loki and Rich’s faces uneasily, waiting for their reactions.

Rich chewed the inside of his cheek for moment, thinking. “Umm, I’m trying to follow here, but I’m having trouble.” He scratched the side of his side of his head for a moment, then looked at Loki, who had a perplexed expression on his face. “Loki?”

“Nothing at all?” Loki said, staring straight at the angel. “Not even once?”

“Well, not entirely nothing,” MG replied. He looked down at his empty plate and sighed. “I’m not totally ignorant of everything. I know how it all works. But otherwise…” He threw up his hands and covered his face. “This is so humiliating.”

“I don’t get it though,” Rich said. “If you’re saying what I think you’re saying…” He shook his head. “But I remember that episode! _Casa Erotica!_ ”

MG looked at Rich between his fingers and laughed dully. “Yeah, well, they don’t call porn ‘fake’ for nothing.”

“So, what is it then?” Loki asked. He glanced at Gabriel, who just looked back. Loki glared at him, then returned his gaze to MG. “Well?”

MG looked at Gabriel, then around the table, his eyes wide in trepidation. “It’s, well… I…”

“Our good friend here needs ‘The Talk’, and since our father figure doesn't really exist, I guess it needs to come from his friends,” Gabriel said, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms casually. ”I guess we can just talk about the whole physical side of the birds and the bees, right? Just dive straight-” He cut himself off as a thought occurred to him. “Say, MG, you never told me exactly what your orientation was.”

“I…” MG trailed off as he cocked his head to the side. “Well, I don’t really know, to tell you the truth. I’ve never thought about that before.”

“Hmm… Well, it’s pretty important. First, have you ever even _had_ any kind of attraction towards another person?” Gabriel asked, sitting forward eagerly.

Rich and Loki looked at each other and rolled their eyes. Typical Gabriel, always had to be in another person’s business.

“Well, yeah. I told you I wasn't _completely_ naive, remember?” MG answered, then eyed the archangel’s over-enthusiasm warily.

“Good, good. So, which one is more attractive: a guy’s ass or a woman’s ass?”

“Gabriel!” Rich exclaimed, looking between him and MG, “Don’t you think that's something he should decide in his own time?”

“I’m just trying to-”

“Am I interrupting?” the Boss’ voice said from the doorway. Everyone’s heads turned towards her, and MG stood abruptly.

“Hi Boss!” He picked up the empty plate in front of him and held it out towards her. “Hungry?”

She shook her head and walked into the room to sit by Rich. “No thank you. I’m here to talk to Rich, actually”

“Me?” Rich asked, blinking. “Why?”

She looked at MG. “Is it OK if I…”

“Oh, he knows, Boss.” He looked at the other occupants of the room. “They all know,” he sighed.

“That saves me time then.” She smiled and turned back to Rich. “I wanted to ask if you knew of any other world that may have characters, people, like MG.”

“You mean parodical characters?” Rich asked. When the Boss nodded in the affirmative, he pressed his lips together, thinking. “Aren’t there some here already? The ones from that one episode where Sam and Dean crossed over to that alternate reality?”

Gabriel snickered. “You mean the ones of Misha and Genevieve?” He whistled. “ _That_ caused a lot of rumors at first!”

Rich turned to look at him. “You’re kidding!” he said, shocked.

“What? No!” Gabriel said, laughing. “I mean, yeah, at first we all thought that, since they disappeared so suddenly; it was too much of a coincidence and all. But we got word from that one world where there’s that alien person that lives in a blue box. They’ve apparently been running around there since it’s like a never-ending adventure world or something.” He shrugged. “Kids!”

“Huh,” Richard said. “I’d’ve never thought.” He propped his elbows on the table so he could rest his chin on his thumbs, steepling his fingers in front of his nose and mouth, thinking once more. His eyes lit up as a face flashed across his mind. He dropped his hands to the table and smiled, then quickly frowned.

“What is it?” Loki asked.

“Well, I do know of a place, and one person in particular, but,” he turned his head and looked at MG, “I’m not sure if MG would be interested.”

The Boss raised her head and looked at MG in confusion. “Why’s that?”

But MG looked down at Rich instead. “Who?”

 

* * *

 

 

The next morning, Rich opened his eyes slowly to the sleeping face of Gabriel on the pillow beside him. He felt Loki’s back against his own behind him, and knew from the way he was breathing that he was still asleep as well.

He let his eyes wander across Gabriel’s face, at the way his hair fell across his forehead carelessly, how his lips parted slightly as he exhaled. He couldn’t believe that he would get to spend his life with him and the trickster who slumbered at his back. He felt a rush of emotion flood through his chest, and he blinked his eyes rapidly.

At the thought of time, he also went over the Boss’ words about living here in this world or his own. He had his family in Tennessee to consider, not to mention the friends that cared about him. And then there was also his career that he had worked so hard for. True, the past few years had been miserable for him, but now he knew that as long as he had his lovers, he could find the spark he had lost again. He genuinely loved acting, directing, interacting with his fans. Singing at conventions and making a difference with charities also meant a great deal to him. He wanted to make his world a better place.

“What are you thinking so intently about?” he heard Gabriel whisper.

Rich realized that he’d been musing so ardently that he’d missed his angel opening his eyes. “About my world, and having you guys in it with me.” He leaned forward and pressed his lips softly against Gabriel’s. “Good morning.”

“Mmm, good morning,” Gabriel replied. He scooted closer to Rich so he could lay his head against his chest and sighed. “Is that what you want? To live in your world?”

Rich rested his chin on top of his head. “Would you be OK with that? We’d age there.” He rubbed the back of Gabriel’s neck softly, and the archangel nuzzled his chest. “Here we wouldn’t.”

“We’d age slowly,” Loki’s voice said from behind him. Rich turned his head as the trickster rolled over and threw his arm over his side. “And like MG said, we can come and go as we please.”

“Do you _want_ to stay in your world, Rich? Are there things you want to do there still?” Gabriel asked, looking up at him.

Rich nodded, then explained what he had been thinking about shortly after he awoke. Gabriel and Loki listened, then both readily agreed.

“You’re amazing, sweetheart. Of course we’ll go,” Gabriel said, snuggling closer to him.

Loki kissed the back of Rich’s neck. “Where you go, we’ll follow. That’s how it’ll always be.”

“I love both of you,” Rich said, his voice choking with emotion.

Gabriel sought his lips and kissed him. “I’ll love you forever, Rich.”

Loki raised himself up and turned Rich’s head towards him with his hand. “And I you. Always,” he said, then kissed him deeply.

Rich felt Gabriel trail his lips along his neck, and he moaned into Loki’s mouth. He pulled away and gasped, “Need… Need you…”

Gabriel snaked a hand down Rich’s chest to his groin and gripped his aroused length, stroking it slowly. “Mmm, feels like it,” he said, nibbling on the side of his neck. “You want a morning quickie, Baby?”

Rich hissed and pressed himself into Gabriel’s fist. “Please…”

Loki pulled the covers down, pushing Rich to his back so he could run two fingers slowly down the human’s opening, which loosened him up instantly. He pushed himself to his hands and knees so he could pull and turn Rich’s body by his thighs to the side of the bed, stepping off onto the floor to situate the human so his legs dangled over the edge. “Gabriel, suck his cock while I lube him up.” Loki then knelt on the floor, spreading his human’s legs wide to give him access to his entrance.

Gabriel, who had released Rich’s cock so that Loki could move him, made his way over and decided to lick the side of Rich’s neck, whispering, “You gonna last?” He reached down and tugged on Rich’s turgid flesh once more and pushed himself above his body to look down at him. “Do you need me to help you?”

“I don’t think I need you to anymore,” Rich said, remembering their tryst from two nights prior.

He cried out when Loki thrust three lubed fingers into him and started to pump them furiously. “Gabriel,” the trickster god reminded.

“So bossy,” Gabriel smirked. He released Rich’s cock, and the human moaned at the loss. Gabriel licked his lips and winked. “Hold on, sweetheart.” He turned completely around and crawled down Rich’s torso, hovering his head over Rich's cock while his own was above Rich's face.

“Happy now?” he asked Loki, looking into his eyes. He used one of his hands to grasp the base of Rich’s weeping cock, lifting it to his lips so he could engulf it all the way to the root. He then took his hand away and lowered his hips, moaning when he felt Rich’s mouth open and encircle the head of his own cock.

The angel and human proceeded to bob their heads on each other’s shafts, slicking the stiff organs with their saliva. They moaned and groaned as they swallowed around the firm lengths with their throats. Rich grasped the globes of Gabriel’s ass and pulled him down as he raised his head, and Gabriel watched Loki’s fingers as they worked Rich’s hole open wider.

Finally, Loki pulled his dripping fingers from Rich and slathered his dick with them. He then used his hands to push the human’s legs up to hook his knees behind the backs of Gabriel’s elbows to help keep him spread open for him.

“You have no idea how sexy you two look,” Loki panted as he stood. He lined himself up against Rich’s entrance, gripping the sides of Gabriel’s upper arms for balance. As he pressed himself inside, he felt the opening stretch invitingly around the bulbous head of his cock, and slid forward smoothly until he rested deep inside of his human’s hot, tight, slick passage.

Rich groaned loudly around Gabriel’s cock, and Gabriel did the same around him. The double sensations of Loki being inside him and Gabriel’s mouth on him were nearly overloading his brain. It was fucking incredible!

Loki’s first thrust had Rich nearly screaming around Gabriel’s cock, and he bucked his hips against him and Loki both. The trickster god had to place one of his hands on Gabriel’s shoulder to steady them, and he hissed in pleasure. “You like that, Baby? Having my cock fucking your tight hole, and our angel sucking your dick? You want us to go faster?” He picked up his pace, and Gabriel matched him, also thrusting his hips quicker into Rich’s throat.

Rich rolled his eyes into the back of his head. Loki was ramming the head of his cock straight into his prostate, and Gabriel had taken to sucking the head of his cock _hard_ each time his lips encountered it.

He was also doing everything he could to pleasure his angel. He sucked and slurped, ran his tongue firmly along the bottom of Gabriel’s cock each time it slid in and out of his throat. He swallowed hungrily around it, wanting to taste his very unique flavor once more.

Gabriel noticed Rich’s testicles start to firm up, and sucked firmly on Rich’s cockhead, sweeping his tongue rapidly at the slit. He felt Rich do the same to him, and moaned and held his hips still to savor the feeling as it pushed him closer and closer to the edge.

Loki tightened his hold on Gabriel, pumping his hips rapidly. He was about to explode, and he knew his lovers were close to the precipice as well.

“Cum for me! Both of you!” he shouted, then rammed himself to the hilt inside of Rich, coating the human’s walls white with streams of his cum.

This sent Rich over the edge and he spurt up into Gabriel’s mouth, who eagerly devoured his release, swallowing it like a man starved. He also gave Rich his tart-tasting cum, and though he tried, Rich couldn’t take it all, and felt some drip down the corners of his mouth. Gabriel continued to suck every last drop of cum out of Rich’s dick, dropping one of the human’s legs so he could milk him empty by stroking him up and down with his fist.

Rich removed his mouth from Gabriel, letting the archangel’s cockhead rub against his lips as he turned his head to the side. He closed his eyes as he felt Gabriel work him through the last of his orgasm, then moaned when he released him.

Gabriel dropped Rich’s other leg and fell onto his side on the bed, panting. He looked up at Loki and said, “Don’t move. I want that.” Loki smirked and leaned forward over Rich, rutting his pelvis against him. Rich moaned, and Loki raised an eyebrow at him.

“What?” Gabriel asked. Loki just nodded his head towards the human.

Gabriel pulled himself up and looked at Rich, then smiled smugly. “Oh, I see.” He slowly moved until he could press his chest against his human’s. “Naughty, naughty human,” he tsked.

Rich blinked at him, his face flushed. “Hmm?” he said.

Gabriel grasped his chin gently with a thumb and forefinger to turn his head left and right, as if he were inspecting him. “You didn’t swallow all of my cum. Didn’t you like it?” he said. He pouted, and Rich gave him a breathless smile.

“Oh, I know!” Gabriel quickly said, leaning forward and touching his nose with his playfully. “You saved a little for me, didn’t you?” He moved his lips down and licked up the sticky globs of white fluid that clung around Rich’s mouth and beard. Rich moaned and gasped, and Gabriel took advantage and thrust his tongue inside his mouth, licking Rich’s own tongue for a moment before pulling away. “Such a sweet Baby,” he purred.

He crawled backwards, stopping to give Loki an intense kiss as well. “Mmm, thank you for keeping it warm for me,” he said. He waited patiently as Loki moved his hands down and pulled Rich’s hips up to jostle him into the middle of the bed, keeping their lower bodies pressed together.

“Come on,” Loki said. Gabriel quickly moved to Loki’s side, and Loki carefully pulled himself out, revealing Rich’s gaping opening. Gabriel switched places with Loki, sliding his hands up Rich’s thighs to keep his legs up and apart.

“Oh Rich, Baby. Your hole is so sloppy and open,” Gabriel said. He placed Rich’s knees over his shoulders and spread his hole further apart with his thumbs. He then lowered his lips and licked slowly across his drenched and stretched rim, and Rich tossed his head back against the bed. “Tastes so good.” He probed his tongue inside and swirled it in the liquid that was seeping out slowly. He then lapped firmly against it, collecting the sticky cum onto his tongue and swallowing it with fervor, and decided to scoop small dollops of cum out with his index finger so he could drip it into his mouth. “Tastes like both of you.”

“AH!” Rich’s rim was so sensitive after being pounded by Loki, and he bit his lip and wailed as Gabriel literally ate from him. “Oh! Oh! _Oh!_ AH! _UH! _”__

Loki saw Rich’s dick start to plump up once more, and he felt his own start to stir as well. He went to kneel by Rich’s side. He took Rich into his hand, then placed one of Rich’s onto his own turgid flesh.

Rich turned his head to him, then groaned as Loki started to stroke him firmly. “Mmm,” he said, and copied his movements on the trickster’s dick with his fist. “Yes…”

They both rutted into their hands, and Rich circled his hips against Gabriel’s mouth at the same time. This is what he wanted, to be with these two forever. Making love with them. Spending their lives together.

Simultaneously, Loki ran his thumb over Rich’s slit and Gabriel closed his mouth completely around his opening to suck, making Rich nearly scream.

Yes, this __is_ _what he wanted.

Gabriel lifted his head at the sound, cum glistening and running messily down his chin. “So much for a quickie, huh?” he said, then buried his face back between Rich’s legs to continue his feast.

_“ _Fuuuuuuuuuuck meeeeeeeee…_ ”_

They didn’t make it to breakfast.

 

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* * *

 

The Boss stood before the east wall of her office and took a deep breath, preparing to contact her sibling in the world that Rich had told her about. Of all worlds, it had to be the one that _he_ overlooked.

She sighed resolutely as she swept her finger across the stone surface of the wall in a pattern that blazed a brilliant violet-blue when she finished. She stepped back and watched as it spiraled in on itself and spread to form a medium-sized oval.

For a moment it pulsed in brightness, and she waited for it to make a connection. She went over in her head what she was going to say, hoping that the conversation would go smoothly and that she would be able to hold her temper.

When the middle of the light winked open and revealed the face of Matt Cohen _(No, he’s_ Matt Cochran _in this world_ , she told herself), she immediately put a smile on her face and opened her mouth to greet one of her younger brothers.

But he spoke first. “What do you want?” he said gruffly. He scowled at her, his blue eyes boring into hers with contempt. “I’m busy, and don’t have time to argue with you over asinine nonsense about bookies.”

She ground her teeth as she kept the smile on her face. “Good to see you too, Brother,” she said. “And no, it’s not about our last discussion about-.”

“Stop with the pleasantries. You know I go by Mr. B.” He leaned forward and glared at her. “And you know I’m right! Those newbies are still in an uproar about how too much creative license ruins book adaptations. It’s all a bunch of nonsense! They’re too rigid! They limit imagination! They-”

“I contacted you to ask you a question, not to argue about how our youngest siblings think, B,” the Boss said, interrupting his tirade. She counted to ten in her head. _This is for MG. This is for MG_ , she thought to herself.

He closed his mouth and pressed his lips into a very thin line. “What question?” he said, raising one of his dark eyebrows.

“First I want to know why I had to use a _Summus Gradus*_ connection to contact you.”

He looked at her in disbelief. “What have you been doing? Haven’t you noticed?”

She stared at him in confusion. “No I haven’t. What is it?”

“There is a dark force surrounding my world, to the point characters are having difficulties traveling here via the Fourth Wall. They ended up having no choice but to use regular portals to other worlds to use their connections to Earth.” He looked down at his desk with a frown. “I fear that some of them got frustrated and gave up entirely.”

“But that means that there could be stranded characters everywhere!” Her eyes widened as she looked over at her own desk at the large pile of glowing spheres that floated harmlessly above its surface. Her brows then creased as she thought about her brother’s words.

“What?” Mr. B said, noticing her expression.

“I’ve had a larger than normal influx of petitions for the Ether over the past year or so. I had chalked it up to the popularity of my world on Earth, but now…”

“Everyone is going to you because they feel safe,” her brother said. He held his head in his hands. “Dammit! It’s worse than I thought!”

The Boss' expression turned grim. “You haven’t been able to talk to anyone else about this, have you?”

He raised his head and looked at her. “You’re the first person I’ve spoken to in months.” He ran a hand through his hair, making it stick up in all directions. “Guess this means I might've been rash, but I had no choice!”

“Brother,” the Boss said, sucking in her breath. “Please tell me you didn’t…”

“I said I had no choice!” he shouted, pounding a fist on his desk. “I did what I thought best for my world! There are so few of us here at the moment, Sis! I don’t want my world to be Purged!” he cried.

“But closing all access to and from your world! Isolating your characters! What do they think?”

“Most of the ones that remain are too busy waiting on the creators to continue the story to even worry,” he said. He looked away, and the Boss frowned.

“Most?” she said, feeling that there was more to her brother’s words.

He sighed and looked back. “When the show went on hiatus, like all main characters, they went on journeys. However,” he leaned back in his chair and tapped his fingers on the desk, “one returned earlier than I expected, and they never really told me why. The others are still gone, not that it matters at the moment.

“But this character… They just bided their time, partied like the others. But then…”

“Then?” the Boss prodded.

“This darkness showed up, started affecting our world’s forces. This place already had its own things going on.” He laughed hollowly. “Did you know that these guys ENJOY getting a bit high? Slightly light headed from one too many beers? I don’t know how the creators did it, but them's the rules in this place. Regardless, once we were surrounded by whatever is going on, those things became more noticeable, and everyday I see the effects on everyone get a little bit more pronounced. I try to intervene when I can, but it’s not as if they’ll die or anything, ya know?”

“But the main character, they’re not?” The Boss knew that the main characters were what kept the worlds together for the most part. Side-characters added flavor and spice and depth, but if a _main_ were to flounder…

Mr. B shook his head. “At the moment they’re not in the best shape. I’ve been thinking of ways to get through to them, but they refuse to talk to me. ME! The Guardian!”

The Boss wanted to chastise him for being arrogant. She knew that the world he watched over was his first major one, and he was still learning.

But she was worried. She had contacted her brother on Rich’s suggestion for MG, and finding out about something that could potentially affect them all made her hesitant about the whole thing. Only one lead character remained; what if it wasn’t who Rich told her about? And would it even matter, since her brother had blocked all ways in and out of his world?

She took a deep breath. “Brother, this character… Their name wouldn’t be Richard Slate, would it?”

His mouth dropped open in shock. “How could you possibly know that?” He placed both his palms on the table and leaned forwards. “There’s no way in _hell_ that you could know that!”

“I’m acquainted with his performer. He told me about him.”

He scoffed. “And how, pray tell, did you meet a performer? Do you take me for an idiot?” He narrowed his blue eyes at her. “You know we can’t leave our realities to Earth!”

The Boss then gave him an abridged version of how she had met Rich, and B’s mouth fell open after every revelation. He whistled about Gabriel’s Rule breaking, was horrified over Rich’s near-death experience, and then nodded in understanding about MG wanting to have love in his life.

“That’s a hell of a story, Sis,” he said when she finished. He looked up at the ceiling above him in contemplation. “MG sounds like a hell of a guy. Maybe…” He clasped his hands together and put them under his chin, then tapped his index fingers together in front of his lips for a moment before smiling.

“I know playing matchmaker with our characters is unorthodox, but in this case I think it can be considered part of our job description, since we’re still technically looking after their welfare,” he said, crossing his arms and nodding at his sister’s face in the portal. “I’ll help in any way I can with them.”

“But what about the current situation in your world? It might be a bad idea all around,” the Boss said. She would hate having to tell MG that Rich’s suggestion wasn’t viable, but she knew he would understand.

“I can’t make the decision for him. I just know that maybe it’ll help Richard.” He held her gaze and said firmly, “I wouldn’t let anything happen to him, and I’d allow any portal you sent him through to stay open at all times.”

She returned his gaze and sighed. “I’ll tell him the risks, tell him what we both think. It’ll be his decision alone in the end. But Brother,” she narrowed her eyes, “he’s important to me. If he does decide to travel to your world, you are to keep me apprised of every single thing that transpires concerning him AND your world, no matter how small or insignificant.”

“I’d expect the same if our roles were reversed,” he said, smiling understandingly.

The Boss returned his smile; maybe he had learned more than she thought he had. “Thank you, Brother. I’m assuming that you’ll allow me to open an aperture for him to cross over if he should agree?”

“Only from your world, and just one!” he said, raising a finger and giving her a hard look. “And if this MG of yours is really serious about what he wants to do, he better not hurt him. Richard is very important to our world right now, and if he does anything to him…”

“I’ll let him know that Richard’s ‘dad’ will kick his ass if he doesn’t tread carefully,” the Boss said. “We both want the best for our charges.”

“I hope it works out. For both of them. And Sis?”

“Yes?”

“Keep this connection open. I want to be able to get in touch with you quickly, just in case, ya know?” His expression turned sad. “I don’t want to lose this place…”

“I will. And Brother, I know how scared you are, you know I do, but please let me try to contact more of our brethren. Let me see if they can help. I’m sure there’s an explanation.”

He sighed, his eyes softening at her words. “It’s good to know that I have at least one person who would help me. Thank you.”

“It’s what families do.”

 

* * *

 

 

Gabriel and Loki stood on the pathway outside of MG’s room, talking quietly as they waited for Rich to finish speaking to the angel. To help assuage his still heightened anxiety, Rich had volunteered to explain the bare-minimum of what one should know and expect during their first _romantic_  encounter. Gabriel had offered initially, since he’d already discussed the angel aspects, but Rich and Loki had quickly intervened, knowing that he would overload MG’s brain and most likely cause him to give up entirely.

“I’m just glad that it turned out that he is like me more than I thought he was. That’s one thing he’s got going for him, so maybe it’ll work out,” Gabriel said, scuffing his foot along the stone floor. It had turned out that the angel had had no preference when it came to sexual attraction, so this version of Richard that they were essentially setting him up with could turn out to be a good match. “But MG is a ball of nerves, though. He tries to hide it, but this affects him more than he lets on.”

Loki’s eyes softened at his angel’s words of concern for their friend. It was hard to believe that only a few days before that he could hardly stand to be in the same room as him; now he was worried about his future welfare. “If it doesn’t, we’ll be here to help him through it,” he said, brushing his fingers along the inside of one of Gabriel’s palms. “He’s stronger than he looks, Gabriel. Rich made all of us that way.”

Gabriel sought his fingers and held them tightly. “I hate that you’re right a lot of the time,” he said, looking at him from the corner of his eye. He smiled while saying the words, and Loki gave him a sly look.

“Someone has to be,” Loki snarked back, then flailed his arms as Gabriel tackled him.

They both fell to the ground, Loki giving Gabriel one of his rare delighted laughs as he wrapped his arms around his angel. Gabriel couldn’t help but join in, sprawling across the trickster god’s chest. “You are such an asshole,” he laughed.

“What am I going to do with you two?”

They turned their heads to see Rich standing over them, his hands planted on his hips. They had been laughing so hard that they had missed the sound of MG’s barrier coming down. Gabriel rolled off of Loki and raised his hand to the human, and Rich helped him to his feet. Gabriel then helped their boyfriend to stand, and they faced the sound of approaching footsteps behind them.

“Everything OK now?” Gabriel asked, seeing MG sheepishly making his way towards them from his room. He saw that the angel’s face was a deep shade of red, and he avoided looking into the trio’s faces.

“I think so,” MG said, stuffing his hands deep into the pockets of his jacket. He stared at the floor and cleared his throat. “Uh, I think Boss Lady wanted us to go see her as soon as we were able, so…” He swiftly turned on his heels and walked quickly away down the path, and the group of three watch him go in amusement.

“Poor guy,” Gabriel said. He leaned his elbow on Rich’s shoulder and shook his head, clucking his tongue. “What exactly did you write into the other you?” When Rich didn’t respond, Gabriel smirked. “He’s gonna be eaten alive, isn’t he?”

Rich shrugged him off, scoffing at his choice of words. “You just never stop, do you?” he said in exasperation.

Gabriel grabbed his hand and dragged him after MG, laughing. “Nope!”

Loki watched them for a short moment, then noticed that MG had stopped and turned around at the Boss’ door to watch the archangel’s antics. A slight smile had appeared on the angel’s face, all due to Gabriel’s knack of keeping everyone in high spirits.

The edges of his own lips turned up slightly as he heard Gabriel shout back at him, “Well, come on Sugar! You gonna just stand there all day and look at my ass?”

 

* * *

 

 

The Boss looked at the four beings standing across from her desk. She had listened patiently as Rich spoke to her of his decision, and smiled her approval.

“I admire you for what you want to do, Richard,” she said after hearing him speak. “Whatever good you can do, regardless of what world it may be in, is worth doing.”

“Thank you,” Rich said, smiling. He looked over at his lovers. “I’m just lucky that I have these guys to support me. I couldn’t do it if they weren’t with me.”

She smiled happily at their beaming expressions. “I think that you’re all lucky to have each other, and will be successful in your future endeavors.”

She turned her eyes to MG and folded her hands on her desk. “I’ve talked to my brother in the world Rich told me about. He’s given me the location of the person Rich spoke of.” She gave the angel a serious look, noticing how he swallowed and shifted his weight slightly. “Are you sure that you want to do this? I’ve told you how things are over there.”

MG blew out a breath and turned his head to look at his friends, who gave him slight nods of encouragement. “Yes,” he said. He turned back to the Boss. “Yes,” he said again, straightening his shoulders. “I’m sure. I have to do this. I _need_ to do this. No matter what.”

She stood and walked around her desk so she could stand before him. “I’m proud of you, MG.” She placed a hand on his shoulder and cupped his cheek gently with the other. “Gabe.”

His eyes widened and he placed a hand over hers. “Boss…” he said.

“It _is_ your name,” she said.

Gabriel stepped forward and held out his hand. “Yeah, and it’s a GREAT name, even if I do say so myself.” He smiled when his hand was clasped by the angel.

“Thank you,” he said.

MG, _Gabe_ , stepped away from them both, then gasped when Gabriel stepped forward once more and hugged him tightly.

“Gabriel?” Gabe said in surprise.

“Thank you,” Gabriel said, patting the angel’s back. “Thank you for saving him.”

Gabe returned the hug and smiled. “Thank you for agreeing to be my friend.”

Gabriel released him and clapped him on the shoulder. “Let me know how things go, buddy.”

He nodded, then turned to Loki. The trickster held out a hand, and Gabe grasped it within his own. “Best of luck, my friend,” Loki said.

“Take care of those two,” Gabe replied.

Rich came up as the angel removed his hand from Loki’s. He gripped Gabe’s forearms and looked into his face. “I’ll never be able to repay you for what you did for me. I wouldn’t be here right now if you hadn’t…” His voice choked off as he felt his eyes start to sting.

“Rich,” Gabe said, placing his own hands upon the human’s arms. “Of course I would save you! You helped create me. And as for repaying me?” His eyes started to glaze over with his own tears. “You’ve changed who I am, and look at what you’ve done: I’m getting a chance to have what you have with those two bozos over there. I owe you more than you’ll ever know!”

Rich pulled him towards him and hugged him. “Keep in touch, you hear me? We’ll be over every now and then. I want updates.”

The angel chuckled as he reciprocated the gesture. “You know it.”

He removed his arms from Rich, then made his way to the Boss, who had walked to stand by the west wall of the room. “Boss?” he said, feeling tears run down his cheeks.

She raised her hands and held his face between her palms. “Oh my sweet, sweet angel. I’m going to miss your laughter, your sarcasm, your pranks.” She rubbed her thumbs on his cheeks to wipe the wetness from his skin. “But I can’t wait to see how Love looks on you.”

She lowered his head and kissed him softly on his brow. “I love you, Gabe,” she said. “You’ll always have a home here, and whomever you find and choose to spend your life with has a home here, too.”

Gabe stood still for a moment, then encircled her with his arms. “I love you too, Boss Lady,” he said. “Thank you. For everything.”

She patted the back of his head, then gently pulled him back by his shoulders. “You deserve this, Gabe. No matter what’s happened before, remember that, OK?”

He nodded, and she squeezed his arms. She then turned to place a hand on the wall and closed her eyes. As she started to chant in a language that none of them could ever hope to understand, a dull hum filled the chamber. Along with the other occupants of the room, he watched in fascination as a swirling vortex appeared under her hand and expanded in width and height. It shone with a bright blue opalescence, and they could swear that stars appeared to be mixed in with the swirling color.

When the portal was large enough for several people to walk through with room to spare, the Boss stepped back and tilted her head at Gabe. “There you go. It’s directly connected, so all you have to do is step right on through.”

The angel nodded, then glanced at the trio still standing near the desk. “I’ll see you guys around.”

They all nodded and waved. “Enjoy yourself,” Rich said.

Gabriel gave him a wolf whistle and wiggled his eyebrows. Loki elbowed him roughly, and he shrugged. “Well, I meant it!” he said, grinning.

Gabe chuckled, then said to Rich, “If it works out with your… what? ‘Spoofy-self’? Then yes, I’m sure I will.”

“That’s the spirit!” Gabriel said, giving him a thumbs-up.

Rich smiled at the name, though he hoped that the angel never called his exaggerated persona the title. He then waved at the angel once more. “Goodbye, Gabe,” he said.

“Bye guys.” He faced the portal, then looked over his shoulder. “Time to go meet my blind date!” He stepped inside the portal, and everyone watched him disappear with a burst of azure light.

 

* * *

 

 

He appeared on a sidewalk outside of a hotel. Bright flashing lights nearly blinded him at first, but as his eyes adjusted, he made out the hotel’s name emblazoned in large, bright, neon-pink letters:

_The Flamingo_

Huh, so the coordinates had him in Las Vegas.

It was just after dark, and the portal thrummed softly at his back, casting his shadow before him.

“Okay, Gabe,” he said to himself, “You can do this.” He popped his neck, took a deep breath, then walked forward into the hotel.

The first thing he noticed once the hotel doors closed behind him and blocked out the portal’s thrum was the lack of sound. It was eerily quiet in the lobby. He looked around, noticing how the floor was covered in pale brown-marbled tile. And there was so much pink in the room! Then again, the place _was_ called _The Flamingo_.

He took a few steps more inside, then stopped as the clack of his shoes echoed loudly on the floor. “Where is everyone?” he wondered aloud.

“Who are you?” he heard a voice say from behind his right shoulder.

He turned around slowly and stared into his face. Rich’s face. No, _Richard’s_ face, he reminded himself.

He watched as Richard blinked then looked at a glass of what appeared to be some kind of dark brown liquor in his hand. “Wow, this place’s shit is stronger than usual,” he said. He started to raise the glass to his lips, seemed to think better of it, then tossed it over his shoulder, shattering it on the floor. “I think it’s time for me to get some java. I’m seeing things.”

Gabe watched him turn and enter a bar off the lobby that he had evidently walked out of, aptly named _The Bird’s Cage_. He was so stunned by his first impression of the man that he couldn’t move. He was intrigued by him already, and reminded him of himself from not too long ago.

He walked to the entrance of the bar, then peeked inside. Richard was behind the bar, fiddling with a coffee machine. Gabe watched the muscles of his back move under the white button-down he was wearing, and couldn’t help the feelings that rushed through him at the sight.

Well, that was a positive sign. He was attracted to him already.

He slowly walked inside, then took a seat on one of the barstools. He continued to observe as the human prepared himself a large cup of coffee, then sat up straight when he turned around.

The man stared at him for a moment, then shrugged. “I guess I’ll ‘talk’ to you while I try to sober up,” Richard said. He leaned on one of his elbows across from the angel and took a sip from his cup. “Then again, considering what I am,” he said, raising an eyebrow, “you could be something else.”

Gabe nodded. “You’re right.”

Richard peered at him from under his untamed hair; it looked like he’d been running his hands through it all day. He also had a good bit of scruff around his mouth, under his chin, and along the edge of his jawline. “Wait a sec, are you?” He dug around the pockets of his pants, pulling out a crumpled sheet of paper and squinting at it. “I found this taped to my bathroom mirror this morning, something about keeping an eye out for myself.” He looked at Gabe. “I guess that meant you, huh?” He tossed the paper over his shoulder. “Guardian must think he’s clever I guess. So,” he leaned over the bar, “from whereabouts do you come from?” He took a long swallow from his coffee, then set it aside.

“Well, it has a lot to do with our performer, to tell you the truth,” Gabe said.

“Our performer? You mean Speight?” Richard said incredulously, standing up straight.

“Yes. He also happens to be a friend of mine, as well.”

Richard looked at him like he was crazy. “You must have blank spaces in your character profile. _No one_ ever talks to their performers!”

Gabe sighed in frustration. “Look, Richard,” he began, “You and I are the same, and Rich thought that we’d, well…” How was he supposed to explain this to him?

“The same? And we’d what exactly?” Richard asked.

At least he was listening to him, Gabe thought. “Well, he thought we’d ‘mesh’, get along, be friends...” He trailed off and looked down at the smooth, gleaming surface of the bar and blushed.

“Well, that was bold of him,” Richard said, noticing the angel’s blush. His voice held a note of curiosity.

The angel raised his head. “You really think so?”

Richard looked at him with an impish expression. “I’m still not really sure about what exactly is going on, but you _are_ the most interesting thing that has happened around here in a very long time.” He leaned on his elbow once more and downed the rest of his coffee. “The same, huh? So, what are you anyway? Another version of me?”

Gabe sighed. “I’m supposed to be an archangel, but I’m more of a parody of one really, so I guess ‘angel’ is a more appropriate way of describing me.”

Richard’s eyes widened. That was a mouthful. “A parody? Like a caricature?”

He nodded. “Yeah,” he said soberly. He nearly jumped when Richard placed a hand next to his.

“I know how much that sucks,” is all the human said.

The words surprised Gabe. Did that mean that he understood?

“What’s your name?” Richard asked.

“Gabriel,” Gabe said. “But most people just call me Gabe.”

Richard blinked. “So you’re from _that_ world!” he said, smiling roguishly. He turned his head and looked at him from the corner of his eye. “Can you do any angel things?”

“A little, but nothing too fancy. They nerfed me in that department,” Gabe said, narrowing his eyes in annoyance.

“Well, let’s see what you can do then!” Richard said, smiling widely as he hurriedly made his way around the bar to stand next to him.

Gabe looked at him. “What?”

“Let’s go raise some hell!”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not to fear: the next part of the series will cover how the "blind date" between Gabe and Richard pans out (and then some!)
> 
> *Summus Gradus - latin for "highest level"


	4. Changes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HUGE thanks to Shaylybaby2032 for being my sounding board when I run into the dreaded writer's block.
> 
> And as always, the beautiful (NSFW) aesthetic was made by the talented Crimson_Rose_Poet.
> 
> I love both of you so so much!

A few hours after Gabe left saw Rich, Gabriel, and Loki standing before the portal in the Boss’ office. They had talked at length about whether they wanted to go straight back to Earth or spend a little more time in this world, and it had been decided that they really didn’t _need_ to hurry back. Rich mentioned that he was curious about various locale and persons as well.

However, Rich was also a nervous wreck. His last experience with a portal had not ended well. He hung back behind his lovers, fighting with his body’s urge to just run out of the Boss’ office and hide in one of the Summit’s many rooms.

“Rich? Love?” Gabriel’s voice drew him from his inner turmoil. Rich looked at Gabriel and attempted to smile, but the archangel knew better. “You’re scared, aren’t you?”

“Out of my mind,” Rich said. He started to shake, and Gabriel calmly placed a hand on either side of his shoulders.

“Shhh, Baby. It’s going to be OK. Loki and I will be with you, and we’ll hold your hands the entire time,” he said. He held Rich’s gaze, then started to breathe at an even rate when the human’s breathing increased alarmingly. “Copy my breaths, Rich. Come on, you can do it.”

Rich struggled to copy his angel’s breathing pattern. “I don’t…” His eyes widened as a surge of panic shot through him when he remembered being pulled away from them. “I can’t... “

Loki pressed his chest against Rich’s back, laying his arms gently around his waist and breathing in time with Gabriel. “Come on, Rich. Feel how I’m breathing? Deep breath in, easy breath out.”

Rich closed his eyes, listening and feeling. Gabriel and Loki kept talking to him softly, encouraging him, and, ever so slowly, he started to breathe in sync with them. As his head cleared and the blood roaring in his ears lessened, he opened his eyes to see Gabriel looking at him intently.

“There you go. Keep going. Let’s get you sat down, huh?” He glanced over Rich’s shoulder at Loki, who moved one of his arms down under the human’s knees to lift him. He looked around, then nodded in gratitude when the Boss motioned him over to her desk chair.

“I can walk,” Rich protested, but the trickster god ignored him as he carried him to the Boss’ seat. He set him down carefully and raised his legs to prop his feet on the desk. “I’ll clean it off when he feels better,” he said over his shoulder to the being watching them.

“No need. I do the same all the time myself,” she said understandingly. She waved her hand and a glass and pitcher of water appeared on the desk. “I’ll let you take care of him in the meantime. Let me know when you need me.” She went to the other side of the room, and they watched as dozens of lights appeared around her: characters, on their way to the Ether.

Gabriel made his way to the other side of Rich and kneeled down next to him. “Would you like some water, sweetheart?” he asked. He ran one of his hands gently through his hair as he asked, watching his face for any signs of discomfort.

Rich moved his head and lowered his eyes to look at him. “Maybe a little.”

The archangel nodded, then smiled when Loki reached for the glass and handed it to their human. “Small sips, Rich,” he said.

“OK,” Rich said and took the glass.

They spent the next hour watching Rich, letting him rest from his ordeal. They reassured him over and over about how fast and simple the trips through the portals were when used in this world and between other fictional worlds, and how the portal from the moon should’ve been gentler, but had screwed up because of their transformations.

“How do the regular portals work when it comes to Earth?” Rich asked, feeling much better. He was interested in the mechanics of traveling between the worlds, and wondered how many he would be able to visit in the future.

“It takes a little longer and can get a bit bumpy if you don’t focus on your destination,” Gabriel admitted. He saw Rich’s eyes widen and he quickly grabbed his hand between both his own. “But with us there we can help direct you! We’ve both had lots of practice. Don’t worry!”

Rich relaxed into the chair, then handed Loki the now empty glass of water. “I think I’m OK now.” He bent his knees and lowered his feet to the floor, then pushed himself up to stand. “So, we’re going to see them first?”

“If that’s what you want,” Loki said, holding onto his elbow in case he needed it. Rich looked at him and smiled in thanks.

“Yeah, I’d love to meet them, and I’m curious about how they’ll react to seeing all three of us.”

Gabriel was turning to attract the attention of the Boss, then jumped when he discovered that she was standing right behind him. “Holy shi-” he stopped himself, then coughed. “I mean, ah, I think we’re ready to head out.”

Her eyes twinkled with humor. “After you,” she said, extending an arm towards the portal. She waited as they walked towards it, noticing that Rich was more than able to walk under his own power towards it. If he hadn’t been, she would’ve made them wait longer.

“Remember,” she said once they had gathered around the pulsing violet-blue light, “keep the target location firmly within your minds. It’s very easy to get thrown off track.”

“It’s like fireplaces in that wizard world place,” Rich said, smiling at the thought. “I’d like to actually go there.” He frowned. “ _Can_ I go there? There’s a movie and book version of them afterall.”

“The movie one would be easier, but there are ways to go into books. My youngest siblings overlook those,” the Boss said.

The trio looked at her in interest. “Your _youngest_ siblings?” Gabriel asked. “You’re not all the same age?”

She raised an eyebrow. “Are you and all your siblings the same age?”

Gabriel opened his mouth to say more, but Loki stepped on his foot to shush him. “Maybe someday you’ll be able to show us how to travel there,” he said, glaring at his angel boyfriend, who pouted at him.

“We’ll see,” she said, cutting her eyes at the put-out archangel.

Rich shrugged. “Sorry,” he said.

“Like I’ve said before, I’m fond of him, so it doesn’t bother me.” She looked at the three of them. “I’m fond of all of you. Enjoy your time together, and I look forward to seeing you when you return.”

Rich smiled softly, then turned to the portal. He held his hands out on either side of him, Gabriel grasping one and Loki the other.

“Let’s go,” he said, and as one they all took a step forward-

 

* * *

  

-and appeared in the garage of the Bunker. Rich dropped his lovers’ hands and patted the front of his body, gasping.

“That was… Wow!” he said, whirling around.

He froze.

“Oh.”

“Gabriel?” they heard Cas’ voice say.

“Nope.” Gabriel turned around and propped his elbow on Rich’s shoulder. “Close, but not quite.”

Loki then turned around, using a finger to tap the brim of the hat he had just conjured on his head.

Dean and Sam were standing next to the angel. All three stared at the trio in front of the portal, not quite believing what they were seeing.

“What-” Sam started to say.

“OK, what the _hell_ is going on? You two have been gone for months,” Dean cut in, pointing at Gabriel and Loki, “and you,” he walked forward and peered at Rich, “there’s something off about you.”

“There’s actually something strange about _all_ of them,” Cas said, tilting his head. Sam and Dean turned their heads to look at the angel. “They all have almost identical auras.”

“How can characters have auras?” Sam said. He glanced back at Rich, Gabriel, and Loki. “And who are you, anyway?” he said to Rich.

“I’m… I’m Richard, Richard Speight,” he said. He put out his hand. “Nice to uh, meet you?”

Sam, Dean, and Cas looked at him in bewilderment. “No, really, who are you?” Dean said, smiling uneasily.

Gabriel gave them a shit-eating grin. “It’s true, fellas. This is my and Loki’s performer.” He moved and wormed his body between Rich and Loki’s, wrapping his arms about their waists. “We’re items!”

Dean looked at Sam, then at Cas. They then all together looked at the three doppelgangers.

“Bullshit,” he said, not able to think of anything else to say.

“It’s true, Dean-o. Let’s all go some place where we can talk. I’ll be happy to tell you all about it.”

 

* * *

  

“And that’s it, give or take a few details I’m not at liberty to say,” Gabriel said a good while later. They were all seated around the table in the Bunker’s library. The two brothers and angel had listened patiently to the archangel’s story, though the more he explained, the more wide-eyed they had become.

Dean abruptly stood when Gabriel stopped speaking and headed for the kitchen, mumbling about needing something to drink. Sam and Cas just stared down at the table.

“I know it’s a lot to take in,” Rich said, feeling very out of place. “And I understand if you guys would rather us just leave-”

“No!” Sam said, raising his head to look at him. “You’re right, it _is_ a lot to take in. We’ve never heard of such a thing happening before. It’s… It’s… Oh hell, I’m just gonna say it!” A huge smile appeared on his face. “It’s wonderful! Do you guys know how amazing this is?! How many hundreds-no thousands, maybe more!-instances had to line up exactly right for you guys to meet and be together? And then, by what the Guardian told you about the cosmic forces APPROVING it all?” He ran his hands through his hair.

Rich laughed. “Sam Winchester, always fascinated by every aspect of a complex situation!” Sam shot him an exhilarated grin, and Rich returned it in kind.

Cas looked at his brother and smiled warmly. “Sam is right: this is an amazing occurrence. I’m happy for you, Gabriel. Loki,” he added, looking at the trickster god.

“Me too,” they heard Dean say from the hallway. They all swiveled their heads and saw him standing there with a case of beer. “Let’s celebrate!”

They heartily agreed, and spent the next couple of hours drinking and talking about every and anything. They started to talk of what the writers might be planning for next season, which led to Rich asking Dean, “So, obviously Michael isn’t possessing you. Did he leave for the time being?”

Dean smiled. “He’s not needed until filming starts again, so he took off to do his own thing. Which I’m glad, because it’s a bitch to do combined character stuff.” He looked over at Sam and Cas, who nodded in agreement.

“Pain in the ass,” Sam said.

“Hear, hear,” Cas added, upending his bottle of beer.

The sound of the Bunker’s doors opening interrupted them.

“You guys here?” a voice rang out into the war room. Rich’s eyes lit up and he looked at Sam and Dean. Sam smiled, but Dean ran a hand down his face.

Cas stood from his chair.

“Maybe I should tell them first,” he said.

“Them?” Rich asked.

“Sounds like they’re in the library, Jack,” another voice said. It sounded feminine, and Gabriel raised his eyebrows at his brother.

“Oh, you must have your hands full with those two!” he said, smiling with glee.

“You have _no_ idea,” Sam said. He smirked at Dean and Cas. “None at all.”

“Shut your mouth,” Dean said. He turned as the newcomers ran into the room.

“Hello Jack, Claire,” Cas said, walking towards the nephilim and young woman. Jack immediately went to him and gave him a side-hug, and Claire did the same.

Sam waved at them while Dean said, “Please tell me that you’ve been behaving yourselves." He then pinched the bridge of his nose.

Jack started to answer, but Claire’s attention was on the bearded man sitting at the table. “I don’t recognize him,” she said, pointing at Rich.

“Oh! Well,” Sam held his hand out towards Rich, “this is Rich. He’s Gabriel and Loki’s player.”

Gabriel nearly spewed the beer he had been drinking all over the table. Everyone jerked their heads toward him, startled. He swallowed and coughed. “Pl-Player…!” He thunked his head on the table and started to laugh and wheeze. “Hee hee hee! I can’t get the image out of my head…”

Loki rolled his eyes at him, then looked at the others. “Ignore him,” he said, waving his hand at the archangel in annoyance. “Just… Ignore him.”

Claire and Jack then looked between the three look-alikes, going over Sam’s statement in their heads word-by-word. Claire pursed her lips in concentration, whereas Jack looked quite perplexed.

“I _really_ don’t want to go over everything again,” Rich sighed, draining the last of his beer. He looked at Cas with tired eyes, and the angel took pity on him.

“No need,” he said. He reached up with both his hands and placed fingers upon the foreheads of the two younger persons. Their eyes widened slightly, and Rich knew that Cas had placed his and his partners’ story into their memories.

“Wow,” they both said at the same time when the angel removed his fingers.

Cas smiled and patted them both on the shoulders. “That was our reaction as well.” He stepped away when he noticed that Rich had decided to come introduce himself.

“Hello Claire, Jack. Nice to meet you. Really meet you, I mean.” He held out both his hands in greeting.

Jack smiled and took his hand. “Hello.”

Claire eyed his hand warily for a moment, then gripped it firmly. “Hi,” she said, then dropped it.

Dean, not enjoying the awkwardness one bit, set his near empty bottle on the table and pushed his chair back abruptly. He frowned at the two young people and said, “Anyway, answer my question: what were you doing?”

Jack released Rich’s hand and looked at Claire. “Well…”

Claire cut in. “We were just walking around one of the shopping centers, Dean.”

“Doing what?” he said, folding his arms.

“Claire said that it’s called ‘window shopping’ and that as long as we just look, it’s OK,” Jack said.

Claire raised one of her eyebrows at the oldest Winchester, who didn’t look convinced and asked, “And that’s all you did? Look?”

“Yes,” she said, folding her own arms.

“For four hours?”

“Well, we did get dinner,” Jack said, smiling.

“Dinner? From where?”

“Dean, do you really need to give them the third degree?” Cas interjected. He had sat across from Dean, and was starting to get irritated.

Dean glanced at him. “Come on, Cas! I know you don’t like me playing ‘the bad parent’ routine, but you know what happened the last time we let these two go alone.”

Sam sighed and looked at Rich, Gabriel, and Loki. Rich was looked down at the table playing with his empty beer bottle; Loki was casually inspecting his fingernails; and Gabriel was watching the whole scene with a delighted interest.

“I’m sorry, guys. Family stuff, ya know?”

“No problem, Sam,” Rich said. He picked up his bottle and held it towards him. “Maybe we should go throw all these away?” He pointed with it at all the others that were scattered about the table.

“Huh? Oh!” Sam said, catching his drift. “Good idea!” He looked over at his brother, still arguing with Cas over ‘discipline and good behavior.’ “Let’s do that!”

Gabriel had to be dragged away after the bottles were collected into the empty beer case. The archangel pouted all the way down the hallway to the kitchen, and Loki literally had to push him through the room’s entryway.

“You guys are no fun!” he whined as Rich and Sam threw the empty container into the trash. He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, then turned his gaze to the tall hunter. “You didn’t speak up during all that. Why?”

Sam went to wash his hands in the sink, thinking over his answer. As he grabbed a towel to dry them, he said, “If I get involved at the onset, they won’t speak to me later. I’m there for them when they need to talk.”

“Ah ha! You’re the confidant!” Gabriel gave him a sly smile. “I bet you know a lot of secrets about my technical nephew and his apparent new best friend out there.”

Sam placed the towel on the edge of the sink and shrugged. “They gotta have at least one adult they can trust.” He winced as he heard a shout from the library. “Uh, anyway…” He scratched the back of his neck. “Gonna head back to the Summit?”

“Actually, I had meant to ask if it would be OK for us to stay for a few days,” Rich said. “I’ve always wondered what it’d be like to really be here. However,” he pointed over his shoulder with his thumb, “if we’ve come at a bad time and all…”

“Not at all! I think it’s a great idea! Maybe having you guys here will actually help! Dean is always this way during the hiatus. He refuses to do nothing but hang out around the Bunker set and just be who Jensen made him to be. Hell, it took me being an asshole to him for him to even go observe Jensen in the first place!”

“Really? That’s supposed to be a pivotal experience in a character’s life! Why was he so against it?” Gabriel asked.

“He said he didn’t want to lose his ties with our world, to be accidentally tempted to never come back. You know how everyone hears about rumors of characters leaving and being replaced by rewritten versions of themsel-” Sam suddenly realized to whom he was speaking and stopped talking. “Oh shit, Gabriel! Sorry, I wasn’t thinking…”

The archangel smiled and shrugged. “No biggie. That version of me and myself are the biggest of pals now.”

Sam’s curiosity was piqued. “Really? From what you told me, it’s because of him that all this kinda began.”

“Remember the details I had to leave out? They deal with him, and they’re kinda personal on his end. But something tells me that if you guys ever run into each other in the future he’d be more than happy to talk to you about it.”

“Maybe _too_ happy to tell you about,” Loki said cryptically.

“I’ll be sure to remember that,” Sam said, looking between the trickster and archangel dubiously. He then clapped his hands and headed towards the hallway. “Follow me, guys. Let’s get you a room, yeah?”

“Room thirty-two,” they heard Gabriel say suddenly as they started down the hall.

They all slowly came to a halt and turned to look at him.

“Gabriel, no…” Rich said. “Why would you want to go in there?”

“I think you know why, Love. We need to.” He held Rich’s gaze, and the human felt his face pale.

Sam’s hazel eyes met Loki’s amber ones, noticing how his jaw clenched with worry. He then attempted to help calm the situation. “Guys, the bed in there isn’t that big-”

“I can make it bigger,” Gabriel said. His voice was deathly calm.

Rich faced Loki and stared at him helplessly. “Loki,” he begged.

“I’ll be there,” Loki said. He raised his arm and cradled the back of the human’s head with his hand. “You two won’t be alone.”

Rich’s lower lip quivered, and he looked back and forth between Loki’s eyes. “Don’t leave,” he whispered.

“I won’t.”

Sam felt his heart go out to them. He didn’t quite understand what was going on, but apparently it was something that Gabriel and Rich needed to work through. “It’s this way,” he said softly. The trio turned towards him, and he led them to the room.

 

* * *

  

“I KNEW that you did something!” Dean said, fighting to keep from yelling once more. He was leaning on the edge of the table, gripping it with his hands. He looked down at the floor and shook his head.

Cas set a hand on his shoulder. “Dean, no one has called complaining, and the Guardian hasn’t contacted us about anyone reporting to her of the incident either.”

“That’s not the point, Cas! They shouldn’t have done it in the first place!” He whipped a finger in Claire and Jack’s direction. “Their definition of ‘looking’ and ‘eating dinner’ is a hell of a lot different from yours and mine!” He glared at Claire. “Having Jack use his powers to move things around a store to scare people is not ‘looking’ Claire! Getting food and having a food fight is not ‘eating dinner’ either! I know this is not the world that we represent, but that doesn’t mean that you can take advantage of it. Do you want the characters that our creators invent to skip town and cause chaos?”

Claire placed her hands on her hips and scowled at him. “They won’t leave, Dean! I don’t understand your whole preoccupation with people taking off to other places! We have a FANTASTIC world! Everyone is happy here! Hell, we have more and more unused characters coming to live here every day!”

Dean’s eyes narrowed. “Regardless, what you two did was wrong. And I’m sick of it. I know I can’t punish you like a real human actually would, but I can make you miserable if I want to.”

“Dean,” Cas said in a pleading tone, “don’t.”

Sighing, Dean pushed off the table and made his way towards the Bunker’s bedrooms. “Just, guys.” He turned. “Kids. I’m not trying to be a hardass, OK? It’s just how I feel.”

When Dean disappeared down the hallway, Cas ran his hands over his face. “ _Please_ , just think before you do something impulsive. I know that you’re both are not as immature as you make yourselves out to be.”

He walked away from them and went to sit in a chair by one of the bookcases. “Go to bed,” he said gruffly, turning his head from them.

Without a word, Claire and Jack went in the same direction Dean had taken.

 

* * *

 

Sam opened the door to room thirty-two. He flicked the light on and everyone’s eyes went straight to the large Enochian letters that were plastered all over the walls.

“I didn’t even know that this was still here. I walk by this door all the time and never even think about it,” Sam said, looking around the room. He stepped back and let the trio walk inside, watching as Gabriel looked about determinedly. Rich kept by the door, keeping his eyes fixed firmly on his shoes, and Loki decided to position himself by the dresser.

Sam wanted to say something, but was at a loss for words. He glanced at their faces, then sighed. “If you guys need anything, you know where my room is. I know you haven’t had anything to eat, so feel free to help yourselves in the kitchen.” He placed his hand on the doorknob and pulled it behind him as went to leave. Before he shut it, he added, “It really is nice to have you guys here, and it’s nice to meet you, Rich.”

Rich turned his head slightly and nodded. “Yeah, you too Sam. Thanks.”

Sam smiled sadly at him, then closed the door.

No one said anything after Sam left. Then, with a frustrated sigh, Rich went and threw himself into the chair to the right of the door. “I don’t want to fucking be in here Gabriel!” he nearly shouted. He bent over, leaning his elbows on his knees as he covered his face in his hands. “Of all the rooms in this place, you just _had_ to choose this one!”

Gabriel said nothing, just kept glaring at the walls.

Loki folded his hands in front of him and looked on, keeping a careful watch on his lovers; he would intervene only if he had to.

The silence stretched for a long, tense moment. Rich started to rock in the chair, feeling his anger amp up with every second. Confusion at the archangel’s actions, and frustration at his refusal to explain said actions, built up until it nearly boiled over within him.

“Dammit, Gabriel! Speak to me!” Rich finally said, standing up so fast that the chair fell over behind him.

Gabriel calmly turned around and looked at him. His eyes matched the anger in Rich’s, and when he replied his tone of voice sounded the same way it had in the hallway earlier. “I don’t want to be here either, Rich.”

Rich looked at him dumbfounded. “Then why, Gabriel?” he said, walking forward to stand in front of him. He searched his face, desperate to understand. “Is being here…” A look of shock spread over his face. “Shit! I knew it!” He backed away and covered his mouth, feeling his legs start to give out on him.

“Rich! Dammit, don’t!” Gabriel shouted, darting forward and grabbing Rich under his armpits to stop him from falling. Loki appeared by their side to help, and together they lowered their human to sit at the foot of the bed.

Rich covered his face with shaky hands. He knew it! He _knew_ it! Gabriel _did_ suffer from what happened to him! He hadn’t come to the Bunker because Rich wanted to, he had come here to face it one last time, and Rich had to witness it whether he wanted to or not. Hurt and anger surged through him at the thought of his angel doing this, and he sniffled, fighting back tears.

“This was your plan all along, wasn’t it?” he whispered, letting his hands fall to his lap.

Gabriel and Loki shared a look; they had never heard Rich’s voice sound that way before.

Loki touched Rich’s knee, but he jerked away. “Don’t touch me!” he snapped. The hurt looks that appeared on their faces pained him even more, and the tears he had been fighting to hold back stung his eyes. “Did we only come here for you to face your past?” He turned to Gabriel. “The past caused by _me_ , Gabriel?”

“Not just me, Rich! _Both_ of us! AND NO, I DO NOT BLAME YOU!” Gabriel said firmly, ignoring Rich’s protests as he grasped the human’s shoulders. “I told you that what happened sucked, and that it was hard. But remember what the Boss said, about emotions from past events being stronger?”

“No, Gabriel, please not this,” Rich cried. “I can’t stand to see you this way!”

“I can’t stand to see you like this either, sweetheart,” Gabriel said, his eyes full of pain.

Rich suddenly stilled, remembering Gabriel’s words in the hallway:

_I think you know why, Love. We need to._

“Me too?” he said, looking into his angel’s worried and sorrow-filled eyes.

“I hear you in your sleep sometimes, Rich. I think it’s time for us to let go of this place, don’t you?”

Rich heaved in a sobbing gasp, and Gabriel immediately pulled him forward. Loki cradled them both as they cried, telling them that he was there, that they weren’t alone.

“But how?” Rich said after a time, his voice sounding wet from crying.

Gabriel peeked red-rimmed eyes over Loki’s shoulder at the writing over the top of the dresser. “I have an idea, but we’ll have to clean up when we’re done.”

 

* * *

  

Ten minutes later, Rich and Gabriel stood in front of the wall to the right of the bed. Loki had conjured a sledgehammer for the human, and he held it firmly in his hands. Gabriel fisted his right hand, and he looked over at Rich.

“Ready? Make sure you give it your all, Baby!” he said.

Rich nodded, bracing his feet. “Let’s do this!”

Together, they swung at the wall, and while Rich made a nice sized hole with his implement, Gabriel punched straight through into the other room. The archangel stood back and looked at Rich, who was staring at him in shock.

“Well, keep going!” Gabriel encouraged, smiling.

Rich barked out a laugh, then continued to swing the hammer, not stopping until he also made it completely through the other side.

“You two feel better?” Loki asked. He had been leaning against the wall by the door, watching as they had symbolically conquered their pasts.

“I’d feel better if I could punch all these walls down, but I don’t want this place collapsing all around us,” Gabriel said. He placed his hands on his hips in satisfaction at the destruction he and Rich had caused. They had wrecked the part of the wall that had talked about his time in Monte Carlo. Even though it didn’t say specifically about what had happened to him, the fact that it mentioned where he had been kidnapped was enough.

Loki raised his hand and snapped his fingers. The holes, along with the debris and the rest of the Enochian along the other walls of the room, disappeared. The smiles of thanks that he received from Rich and Gabriel made his heart swell.

“Who’s hungry?” the archangel said, his mood completely reversed from what it had been when they had all entered the room. He hooked his arm with Rich’s and led him towards the door. He stopped by Loki and offered him his other arm. “Coming with?” he asked.

Loki took it and nodded. “Let’s go.”

 

* * *

  

“Well, it’s not as good as what we had at the Summit, but food is food,” Gabriel said, warming canned soup in a saucepan on the stove.

“Can’t you just make your soup instead?” Rich asked, looking over his shoulder and wrinkling his nose in distaste. He really didn’t want to eat it, but it was the only thing in the kitchen that was easily made to not taste like crap when the gluten was taken out of it.

“I could, but that takes a while, and I’m hungry.”

“I’m still getting used to you guys being all human-ish,” Rich said. He walked towards the table where Loki was setting their dishes. “And I’m still getting used to you being all helpful.”

“We need to learn to live together. Now is as good a time as any to start,” Loki replied. The trickster waited for Rich to respond, but paused when he was met with silence. “Rich?” he said, raising his eyes from where he was placing their silverware.

Rich was beaming at him. “That’s right! We’ll all be living together!” Then his face fell. “But, we can’t be together all the time, though. I’ll be gone with work, and when I have to be out making appearances, you guys will have to be in disguise if you want to come with me. And we also can’t be our usual selves in public either…” He pounded his fist on the table, causing the glasses to rattle. “Dammit! Why didn’t I think about that!”

“Rich, it’s OK,” Gabriel said. He lowered the heat on the stove and covered the pan before he walked up behind the human to wrap his arms around his waist. “You don’t think we haven’t thought about that? We know how the society is in your world, and in your country. It doesn’t change how we all feel. What matters is that we’ll be together, right?”

“We’ll just have to come here as often as we can,” Loki said. He raised Rich’s face with his hand and kissed him gently. “We want to _be_ with you, not seen with you.”

“It’s just not fair, is all,” Rich said. He placed a hand atop Gabriel’s and the other on Loki’s. “I love you guys. I want others to know it, too.”

“We’ll be around for a long time. I’m sure someday the world will get its head out of its ass,” Gabriel said, kissing him on the side of the neck. He gave him a quick squeeze, then went back to the stove.

 

* * *

  

When they were back in the room, Rich wondered why no one came running earlier during his and Gabriel’s wall demolishing, but had come to find out that Loki had cast a silencing spell inside of the walls.

The trickster god, of course, had also done it for other reasons.

The moment the door to their room was shut behind them, he pressed Gabriel against it, rutting his hips against him. Gabriel gasped and flung his hands above his head, more than willing to give him whatever he wanted.

“Mmm, so needy,” Loki said, kissing down his neck. “What do you want, Angel?” He rolled his groin against him, and Gabriel moaned.

“You, you and Rich. Want you,” he said.

Rich, unable to just watch, pressed himself to the side of the archangel. “What do you want me to do, Gabriel?” he said. He ran his hands down the front of his chest and tweaked his nipples through his shirt, and Gabriel arched his back and sucked in his breath.

“I want… I want your cock, Rich…” he whispered. He turned his head and looked at his human. “I want you to fuck me.”

Rich felt his mouth go dry. “Gabriel...” he said. He raised his hand and cupped his face, pulling him forward to crush their lips together. Gabriel open his lips so Rich could slide their tongues together, and they both groaned into the other’s mouth.

Loki watched them, feeling himself grow harder within his pants. “You want him inside of you, Angel?” He licked the side of Gabriel's neck. “Want to suck me off while he pounds your ass?”

Gabriel whimpered against Rich’s lips and bucked his hips, and Loki smiled against his neck.

“I take that as a yes.”

Loki pulled him from the door, taking Gabriel’s mouth from Rich’s, and the archangel whined over the loss. He was then whirled around and tossed gently onto the bed. A telltale snap was heard, followed by cool air rushing over his skin, and he purred as hands started to run over his body.

“Want you both… Need you both,” he begged. He felt the bed dip to his left as a naked Loki crawled up to hover over him, and looked up into his trickster’s face as it was lowered to his.

Loki kissed him hungrily, drawing out fevered moans from the archangel. Their teeth knocked against each other, their tongues rolled and twisted together, and their lips were swollen and red by the time Loki pulled his away. He licked across the spit that had gathered across Gabriel’s chin and moaned. “Can’t wait to have that tongue on my cock…”

Rich, also naked, had kneeled between Gabriel’s legs, watching his lovers and panting. His eyes widened with lust when Loki turned his head and said, “You wanna open him up, Baby? Get down there and work that hole open with those soft lips of yours.”

He looked down and smiled slightly when Gabriel spread his thighs wider apart for him. He then lifted Gabriel’s legs and pushed them against the archangel’s chest, and Gabriel grasped the backs of his knees and held himself open willingly. Rich looked at Gabriel’s entrance, then up at his lovers before asking, “Like this?” He leaned down so he could flatten his tongue to lick slowly up and down the wrinkled bud.

Gabriel moaned. “Oh! Your beard, Rich! So good! AH! OH! Fuck yes, Rich, like that! Get me all wet.” He gasped when he saw Loki move down to watch Rich’s ministrations. “Loki…”

“Good job, Baby. Keep licking that sweet hole. Move your head up and down. There you go,” he said as Rich started to increase his pace. He raised a hand and moved it up and down Rich’s back. “You’re learning so well. Oh, yes, he likes that,” he said as Rich started to lick long swipes with his tongue from Gabriel’s opening to his taint and back again. Gabriel cried out in pleasure the entire time.

Rich pulled his mouth away and breathed deeply. “You taste so good. Different from your cum, but good,” he sighed. He laid a trail of kisses along the inside of both of Gabriel’s thighs before resuming his task. He lapped at Gabriel relentlessly for several long moments, with Loki watching as Rich made Gabriel fall more and more apart.

“St-Stick your tongue in me, Rich. I can feel…” Gabriel moaned when Rich went to nuzzle the bottom of his sac. He tossed his head from side to side. “Your tongue is amazing! I want it! _Ohhhh!_ ”

“Do it, Baby. Fuck him with your tongue,” Loki instructed. He heard Gabriel wail after Rich lowered his face and pierced him with his wet flexible muscle, and he trailed his hand down past Rich’s buttocks and cupped his sac, causing the human jolt. “Keep going, Baby. Don’t stop.”

Rich moaned and pushed his tongue further into Gabriel, enjoying the musky flavor of the archangel. He closed his lips over the hole completely and sucked like Loki had done to him, and the effect was instantaneous as Gabriel cried out, dropping one of his legs from his chest and spreading it wide to the side to give Rich better access. He reached down down to grip his human’s hair, pressing his face closer to him.

“Oh FUCK YES! I’m gonna be ready for your fingers so fast if you keep doing that!” Gabriel panted. He undulated his hips, unable to control himself. “Hmm… uhhh… _Oooo..._ ”

Meanwhile, Loki fondled Rich’s testicles, rolling them gently between his fingers. He watched his lovers hungrily. “You two look so fucking amazing,” he purred. He kissed the middle of Rich’s shoulder blades and worked his lips down his spine, giving gentle tugs to his sac as he moved. The human shuddered under him, and Loki smiled against his skin. He lifted his head and ran his other hand down Rich’s arm and placed his hand on top of Rich’s fingers.

“Give me your hand,” he said, and waited while Rich braced himself on his other arm and pulled his face slightly away from Gabriel.

Gabriel watched them entwine their fingers, noticing how Loki coated Rich’s fingers in lubricant. “Work a finger into him. He should take it pretty quickly by now,” Loki said, darting his eyes at the archangel and holding his gaze. Gabriel could only bite his lip in anticipation.

Rich rubbed his fingers together, testing how smooth they felt, then moved his hand to Gabriel’s glistening opening. He ran his index finger up and down against it softly, feeling the end of his finger slip inside on the third pass. He paused, unsure if he should press further.

“Keep going, Rich,” Gabriel rasped. He ran the hand that was still clutching his hair gently down the side of his face. “You won’t hurt me, sweetheart.” He mewled as Rich inserted his finger all the way to the first knuckle, and he begged for another finger.

“So soon?” Rich breathed raggedly. He looked at Gabriel’s hole clutching onto his finger, so snug and warm. He moved it out just slightly and pushed it back in, and Gabriel moaned his name.

“I can handle it,” the archangel rasped. “Do it, Rich. Stretch me open on your fingers. Get me ready for you cock.” He took his hand from Rich’s face and grasped his straining dick, stroking it slowly. “I wanna feel it pounding into me from behind, but you have to get me ready, Baby.”

Rich groaned as his eyes followed the movement of Gabriel’s hand on his swollen flesh, and on impulse he leaned forward and wrapped his lips around the weeping head and sucked. Gabriel keened and released himself so he could place his hand on the back of Rich’s head to guide his mouth slowly along his length.

Loki listened to their wanton moans and cries as he moved back behind Rich and laved his testicles with his tongue. Rich nearly choked around Gabriel, rolling his eyes as Loki sucked one of his testes into his mouth. The trickster god slurped around the organ in his mouth, then pulled off with wet pop before doing the same to its twin.

“Fingers, Rich,” Gabriel gasped, clenching himself around Rich’s digit deep inside him. “Mouth so good, love your mouth…” he moaned, closing his eyes and relishing the feelings coursing through him.

Rich, nearly floating from the sensations of Loki’s mouth and giving pleasure to Gabriel, obliged. However, instead of one finger he thrust in two, making Gabriel drop his other leg and sit up. “FUCK! OH FUCK YES!” he shouted.

Loki was gripping himself with his fist, so turned on by the actions of his lovers. He took his mouth off of Rich and rasped, “Doing so well, Baby. Get him open for your cock.” He squeezed Rich’s testicles gently, then released them and crawled until he was sitting beside Gabriel.

Rich started to jam his fingers roughly inside the archangel, jabbing his prostate while he moved his head up and down on Gabriel’s shaft. He raised his eyes to look at his lovers and felt his arousal spike at Loki’s heated look and Gabriel’s nearly blissed out face.

“Twist your fingers against his rim, Baby. Stretch that hole. Gotta make sure your cock will fit,” Loki said. He pressed himself against Gabriel’s side and licked the side of his throat, savoring the salty sweat that had formed there.

“L-Loki… His mouth… I…” Gabriel panted. He rolled his head back as Loki ran a finger down the middle of his chest to his groin. “I need…” He cried out as Rich circled his fingers within him, and almost fell back before Loki’s arm caught him.

Loki reached down and removed Gabriel’s hand from Rich’s head, then slowly removed the human’s lips from the archangel’s cock. “Does he feel loose and ready now, Baby?” he asked, turning his head and kissing Gabriel softly on the lips.

Rich turned his hand palm side up and curled his fingers, making Gabriel jerk in Loki’s arms. He slid his fingers out of the archangel and saw that his entrance dripped with lubricant and was well-opened by his intense preparations.

“Very much so,” he nodded, circling the loose muscle with his forefinger and watching it quiver.

“Slick yourself up Baby. Time for your dick to be wrapped by his sweet ass,” Loki said, turning Gabriel until he was on his hands and knees. He helped the archangel move backwards a bit, then he kneeled in front of him while Rich took the same position from behind.

“You ready, Angel? Gonna be OK to keep yourself up?” Loki asked, tilting Gabriel’s head to look at him.

Gabriel smiled through the hair that was plastered with sweat on his forehead. “I know that you two won’t let me fall,” he said. “Come on, let’s do this.”

Loki smirked, then pulled Gabriel’s face towards his groin. “Suck my cock, Angel.”

Gabriel opened his mouth and swallowed Loki down completely, relaxing his throat. He didn’t stop until his nose was pressed against the trickster god’s prickly pubic hair.

Groaning, Loki lay his hand on top of his head and caressed his hair. “That fuckin’ mouth of yours,” he gasped. He darted his eyes at Rich. “What are you waiting for? He wants your cock in him.”

Rich had been devouring the look of intense pleasure on Loki’s face, and had momentarily forgotten about the archangel’s open orifice inches from his groin. He gripped Gabriel’s hips, lined his cock up, then pressed forward. He closed his eyes as he was surrounded by hot, wet, velvet tightness, and when he was sheathed completely, he stilled and just let himself feel how amazing Gabriel felt around him.

Loki watched him, already moving shallowly between Gabriel’s lips. “How does it feel, Baby? Is he tight? Squeezing your cock?” Gabriel had moaned deep in his throat when Rich bottomed out in him, and Loki watched with eager eyes at Rich’s new experience.

“Incredible,” Rich gasped. He did an experimental thrust, and he and Gabriel both groaned. “ _Ohhh!_ ”

“Let’s fuck our angel good and hard, Baby,” Loki said, placing his other hand on Gabriel’s shoulder. The archangel raised a hand and clasped Loki’s thigh for support, and Loki pulled his hips back until his cockhead rested just inside Gabriel’s mouth.

“We’ll alternate at first, Rich, then see what happens,” Loki said.

Rich bit his lip and nodded, then moved his hips back to thrust deep inside Gabriel, who groaned and shuddered. As he pulled out, Loki pushed into Gabriel’s mouth, and just as Loki removed himself from Gabriel’s throat so the archangel could inhale a quick breath, Rich plunged himself back into Gabriel’s hungry hole.

A steady pattern was quickly established, and Gabriel held onto Loki, rocking back and forth on his lovers’ cocks. He was at their mercy, and he reveled in it. Every time Rich punched his prostate, he squeezed his eyes shut, and he felt a blurt of precome fall from the slit of his cock onto the sheets of the bed beneath him. He made sure to press his tongue firmly along the bottom of Loki’s dick when it slid into his mouth and down his throat, and he gasped and groaned whenever the trickster’s cockhead rested briefly at his lips.

The sound of the bed’s headboard slamming into the wall rang loudly in their ears along with their heavy breathing and sounds of pleasure. Rich was crying out harshly everytime his hips slammed against Gabriel’s ass, and Loki grunted louder and louder as the archangel sucked and hollowed his cheeks around his cock.

Their rhythm increased rapidly, and without their realizing it Loki and Rich were pounding into Gabriel’s ass and mouth at the same time, forcing him to wrap both his arms around Loki to hold himself up. Loki hooked his elbows under Gabriel’s armpits to support him, never faltering in his thrusts down his throat.

“Oh Gabriel…” Rich moaned, tossing his head back and pistoning his hips faster, “I want to do this with you all night...”

“We will, Baby,” Loki said, curving his body over the archangel’s. He groaned deeply as he felt his angel moan at their words. “We’ll fuck each other until we black out. Would you like that?”

“I wanna do it so bad… Please...” Rich raised one of his knees so he could lean over Gabriel’s back towards Loki’s face. He fucked harder into Gabriel with the new position, moving one of his hands to grasp him on his side as he increased his pace. “Wanna do everything with you both.”

Loki stared into Rich’s eyes and growled, “Kiss me, Baby.” They crashed their lips together furiously, still moving their hips against Gabriel, who was lost in a haze of pleasure.

They lost track of time as they continued, becoming bathed in sweat until their voices were hoarse from shouting and crying out.

Gabriel, flying high on being ravished, came first, shattering as he came between his lovers, striping the bed beneath him with ribbons of white cum.

His lovers were right behind him, with Rich feeling the all-too familiar tells of climax. “Nnngghh… Getting close… Oh!” He started to lose his pace and dug his fingers into Gabriel’s pelvis. “So close… Uh!”

“Go… on… and… cum…” Loki breathed, huffing out the words. He was feeling the stirrings of his orgasm. He looked down at Gabriel’s flushed face. “Angel?”

Gabriel blinked blearily at him, and the corners of his eyes crinkled. He was still aware enough to have understood what Loki asked. He squeezed his thighs with his fingers, and that was all Loki needed to know.

“FUCK!” they heard Rich shout, and Gabriel’s eyes went wide as he felt the human slam deep into him and pump him full of his release. Rich held his mouth open as he gasped loudly with each rope of cum that left his body, and fell heavily on top of Gabriel’s back when he finished, shuddering.

Loki moaned. “One more load for you, Angel,” he said, and pulled his dick back so Gabriel could wrap his lips tightly around its head. He sucked, and Loki groaned as he flooded the archangel’s mouth, his testicles contracting with each spurt across his tongue.

Gabriel swirled the liquid around his mouth with his tongue, savoring the sweet taste of his lover before swallowing. He took Loki’s cock down one last time, much to Loki’s delight, then pulled off, slurping the head clean as he released him.

“Hmm, yummy,” he said, running his tongue over his lips.

Loki hummed appreciatively, then looked at Rich, who was still catching his breath on Gabriel’s back. “Still with us?” Loki asked, adjusting Gabriel in his arms.

Rich raised himself slowly back to his knees. “I think so.” He brushed sweat-soaked hair from his eyes with the back of his arm. “I think I need a short nap before I go again.”

Gabriel snorted. “Methinks the Boss neglected to mention a certain someone’s increased sex drive.”

Rich smacked Gabriel’s ass. “I don’t hear you complaining about it.”

“Touché.”

 

 

* * *

  

Late afternoon the next day, the triad entered the main part of the Bunker. Gabriel and Loki sauntered in like nothing was amiss, but Rich sheepishly walked in behind them. Sam and Dean gave them all knowing looks at they sat at the library table, only smiling and asking if they were hungry.

When told that they were, Dean informed them that Cas was on his way to pick up something to bring back. Rich asked if he could choose something of the non-wheat and dairy-free variety, and though Dean found it odd at first, he gave Cas a call and it was all taken care of without any fuss.

“Sorry,” Rich said afterwards.

Dean shrugged. “Can’t have you destroying the bathroom, right?”

“Heh, guess not,” Rich said, rubbing the back of his neck. He still found it strange, the characters in this world actually making and consuming food; needing sleep, having sex, and normal, everyday lives. He glanced at his partners and smiled. Then again, he guessed it wasn’t too unusual, them having their own lives. He didn’t realize what living was until his intertwined with theirs.

“You’re thinking about things again,” Gabriel said, leaning forward and looking into his eyes.

Rich smiled softly. “Yeah, I do that.”

“Hey! No little icky-love discussions in public!” Dean said, glaring mockingly at them.

Loki drummed his fingers on the table. “Where are Claire and Jack?” he said, quickly drawing Dean’s attention away from his partners.

“They’re with Cas,” Sam said. “He’s promised to keep a better eye on them during the hiatus.”

“That reminds me: Why _is_ Claire here?” Rich asked.

“Even though it’s not directly said on the show, Claire and Cas have a family bond. He may not be her dad, but he’s the closest thing she has to one, ya know? And Jack, well, he considers all three of us his dads, so Claire has made herself Jack’s unofficial older sister.” He rubbed the side of his temples with his fingers. “Yeah, I know, it’s a lot. But when you’re written the way you are, some things just become a part of you. You guys know that,” he said, looking at Gabriel and Loki, who nodded in agreement.

“I’ve noticed that, how feelings and such are just as real here as they are in my world. Even though you were all created as fictional characters, family, love, friendship, all of that, is just as real here as anywhere else.” Rich looked up at the ceiling. “I keep learning things about this place every day it seems.”

“Well, they ARE based on real things in your world, not just feelings and social dynamics, but physical things as well. I’m sure you’ve noticed that we act like what we are.”

Rich blinked. “I was just thinking about that, actually. How you all eat, sleep, those kinds of things.”

Sam smiled. “Exactly. We wouldn’t really starve or become sleep-deprived, but it keeps us grounded as to what we would be like on Earth. It’s pretty complex. It’s the same with the supernatural aspects,” Sam reminded him. “Without that connection, we would be flat and without substance.”

Rich had to agree. “That’s one thing that has kept the show going: how the fans connect with the characters. Sure, the overall story is interesting, but the characters are what drives the show.”

“And _all_ the characters need to be kept safe and happy for this world to continue, even after the show is over,” Dean said.

Everyone but Sam turned to look at him, not quite understanding where his statement came from.

“Dean, this world is safe. The Boss watches out for everyone. I can promise you that,” Gabriel said. “She even watched out for Rich. Helped save his life.”

Dean crossed his arms. “You can never be too safe.”

Sam sighed. “Dean…”

“It’s true, Sam! This is our home! Our fellow characters’ home!” He waved his hands at Gabriel and Loki. “Their home!”

“There’s more out there than this world, Dean.”

“I know that!”

“Then why don’t you go look?”

“I did!”

“For five whole minutes!”

“So?”

Rich was getting extremely uncomfortable. He didn’t come here for all this arguing, all this angsty ‘Winchestering.’ He looked at Gabriel and Loki and shook his head.

Gabriel frowned and snapped his fingers, causing the brothers to sit back frozen in their chairs. “You guys do _nothing_ but argue. In fact, your whole family does nothing but argue. Are you so caught up in being your actual characters that you can’t be anything other than that?”

He stood and walked towards them. “I get it. What you are was made by a person in a writing room, and by your performer. But there’s _more_ to you than that. That’s part of the reason that you go to see your performer as they really are, by the way,” he said, glaring at Dean, who then directed a betrayed look at his brother. “You go to spend time observing your performer, to see how their own personality helped shape who you are, so you can form a bit of your own personality. Develop your own feelings, your own way at looking at life. So you don’t stay all artificial.”

He snapped his fingers and Sam discovered that he could move. “Sorry Sam. I know that you aren’t entirely to blame, but you were yelling just as loud as he was.” Gabriel looked down at Dean. “Five minutes? Really? You need to go back and spend at least half of the hiatus to see what Jensen’s life is like. You’ll discover so much more about yourself, Dean.”

The archangel released him and went to sit back down by Rich. However, Dean didn’t move. Sam watched him, hoping that his brother was considering Gabriel’s words. “Dean?” he asked hopefully.

“What was it like for you?” Dean asked Loki. He had noticed that the trickster hardly ever talked, but watched everything with keen eyes.

“I saw how he lived. How he worked. How he interacted with those around him. What he liked best. What he hated.” Loki looked at Rich from across the table. “I saw someone who was lost, and needed help in finding what he needed. And even though I was feeling the same at the time, I didn’t realize that we were on the same journey. I had only ever let one person break down my walls,” he glanced at Gabriel, who smiled tenderly at him, then back to Rich, “but he was able to help break them down even further.” He looked over at Dean. “He changed me, and I never, _ever_ , want to be who I was before that again.”

Rich’s heart was pounding in his chest. Loki, whether he had realized it or not, had just told everyone in the room that he loved him in the most profound way. He felt Gabriel reach for his hand under the table to entwine their fingers tightly.

“It was the same for me,” Gabriel said. “I saw that he was full of life. Exuberant. Someone I wouldn’t mind spending a lot of time with. Someone that I’m now glad that I broke the rules for.” He squeezed Rich’s hand, and rubbed his thumb against the pulsepoint on the inside of his wrist. “And I’d do it again, over and over, if it meant that we’d end up right back where we are now.”

“Gabriel,” Rich said, feeling his eyes mist over. He and Loki were making him fall in love them all over again.

Dean looked back and forth between the triad. “Well, um…” He scratched the side of his face with a finger. “I’m not exactly expecting _that_ , but if it’s as life-changing as you’re making it out to be…”

“It was for me,” Sam said. “Meeting Jared was amazing. He has three kids, and his wife is his whole world. He’s also got quite a temper sometimes.” He smiled, remembering the few times he smarted off on social media while he observed him. “But he’s a pretty interesting guy all around.”

“Jensen’s a nice guy too, Dean. I’m not sure what you learned about him in five minutes, but I bet it wasn’t a lot,” Rich said. He still held his angel’s hand, not wanting to release it. “Give it a go. From what I’ve learned, it’s essential for all you guys in these worlds to have this experience.”

Dean folded his arms in front of him on the table, debating what to do. He looked at his brother. “But what if something happens when I’m gone?”

“Nothing will happen, Dean. You’ve heard from them how on-top of everything the Guardian is.”

“And what about the kids? Who will make sure they stay out of trouble?”

“If they get in trouble, they’ll face the consequences. It’s how we all learn, right?”

“This being a parent thing is stressful.”

“It is indeed,” Loki said.

Dean looked up at him. “Oh, yeah, that’s right. You’ve got three boys. I forgot.”

“So?” Sam asked, keeping Dean on track.

“Well, I guess I’ve no real excuse now, do I?” Dean said, leaning back in his chair.

Sam smiled and turned to look at his friends. _Thanks_ , he mouthed.

 

* * *

  

Cas was thrilled to learn about Dean’s decision when he returned. Claire and Jack were skeptical at first, neither believing that Dean would ever leave their world again for any reason. However, when Sam confirmed Dean’s words, they quickly wrapped the elder Winchester into a double-hug.

“OK, OK, I’m not leaving just yet!” he gruffed. He patted them both on their backs a little awkwardly, then looked at Sam and Cas. “They learned this from you two, you know!”

Cas set out everyone’s food on the table, smiling to himself. “Of course they did, Dean.”

The group of eight dug into their meal. They compared Rich's point-of-view to events in the show to their own, and many laughs and light-hearted debates were had by all.

Rich nearly choked on his food when he saw Jack dip his finger into his glass of water and turn it red.

“Rich?” Jack asked, turning his gaze towards him. “Are you alright?”

“D-Did you just use powers?”

The nephilim tilted his head in confusion. “Didn’t you know I had them?”

Rich looked at Dean. “I’m guessing this is kinda like Michael taking off during the hiatus. Jack is able to be himself during the time off too?”

A huge grin broke out on Jack’s face. “Oh that’s right! I’m not supposed to have my grace anymore!” He shared a look with Sam, then went back to Rich. “I went back to my original self straight-away. It makes me feel more like myself.”

“Humph!” Dean said from the head of the table. “And it helps you two cause more trouble.”

Jack, along with Claire, grimaced and looked down at their food.

Dean chuckled. “I’m not mad, guys. I’ve decided that if you two want to cause trouble, I’ll just let you keep going until you’re caught. Push the envelope all you want, but don’t be surprised when someone else has had enough and you gotta answer for it.”

Claire and Jack looked at Sam in alarm. He shrugged and continued eating. They then both turned to Cas, but the angel was nodding in agreement with Dean.

“That will work,” he said.

“I thought it would,” Dean replied.

“Yay for parents being on the same page!” Gabriel said.

Sam, Dean, and Cas gave him amused glances.

Rich cleared his throat and darted his eyes across the table at Loki.

“Just eat your dinner and be quiet, Gabriel,” the trickster god said.

“Speaking of being on the same page…” Gabriel mumbled. He kept relatively quiet throughout the rest of the meal, but made a point of shooting annoyed glances at Loki and Rich whenever he caught their eyes on him.

 

* * *

  

When they had finished dinner, they all walked to the garage where the portal still hummed quietly. Everyone gathered around it, and Dean turned around.

“Well, when I woke up this morning this was the furthest thing from my mind,” he said, looking at each face in the room. He stepped forward and placed his hands on Jack and Claire’s shoulders. “You two stay out of trouble. Or try to anyway,” he said, smiling at them fondly.

“We will,” Jack said, then stepped forward and hugged him. Claire blinked back tears and copied the nephilim’s actions.

“Promise,” she said, sniffling against Dean’s chest.

Dean placed his hands against their backs. “I know you will,” he said softly. He released them then turned to Sam and Cas.

“I know time will pass by faster here then there, but I’ll be back before they start filming again,” he said.

Cas nodded, a small smile turning up the corners of his mouth. “I’m just glad that you’re taking the time to explore who you are, Dean.” He reached out and wrapped his arms around him.

Dean returned the hug. “Me too, Cas.”

“Sammy?” he said, letting go of the angel, “You and Cas watch over everything while I’m gone.” He leveled a serious look at his brother. “ _Everything_.”

Sam rolled his eyes and grabbed Dean into a one-armed hug. “Stop worrying!” he said. “Go and do what you’re supposed to already!”

Dean laughed and embraced him. “Geez, just run me off then! Gonna miss you, too,” he said in a half put-off manner.

Sam chuckled and raised his other arm to hug him properly. “Jerk.”

“Bitch.”

Rich snorted.

Dean clapped his brother on the arm, then faced the portal. “Well, I guess I’ll be seeing you guys when I get back!”

Rich called out, “Maybe we’ll run into each other!”

Dean looked over his shoulder, his face lighting up at the idea. “I’ll keep an eye out for you!” He then took a step forward and blinked out in a flash of light.

 

* * *

 

Gabriel walked down the hall towards his room. He had still been feeling a little disgruntled after dinner, and decided to take a walk around the Bunker to shake it off. Best to not blow things out of proportion when they didn’t need to be, he had reasoned with himself.

He stopped in front of his door and went to turn the handle, then frowned when he saw that it was locked. “What the hell?” he said. He knocked and waited.

No one answered.

So he knocked again, but harder this time.

When there was still no answer, he finally just teleported himself to the other side. He was about to demand why the door was locked when he heard Rich keen in pleasure.

“ _Ah…! Uh…!_ ” Rich was sitting in Loki’s lap, his back pressed to the trickster’s chest, on the edge of the bed. Loki held him by the hips and bounced him up and down lazily upon his cock, slapping their skin and balls together every time their thighs met.

“Well, this is a nice surprise,” Gabriel said, walking forward. He stripped his clothes off quickly and sat down next to the undulating bodies of his lovers. “A nice, tasty surprise.” He placed his lips on the side of Loki’s neck and nipped and lapped at his skin.

Loki groaned. “About time… you joined… us…” he panted as he continued thrusting up into Rich. He turned his head and kissed Gabriel, their lips smacking wetly. “He wanted… us both… tonight…”

“You getting turned on so bad that it’s got you planning things in advance now?” Gabriel purred. He slid a hand down Rich’s chest, intrigued at the idea.

“Wanted to… tell both of you… _Ahhh!_ ” Rich wailed as Loki planted his feet flat on the floor and started driving the head of his cock straight into his prostate.

“Tell us what, Baby,” Loki asked, gritting his teeth as he felt Rich’s passage tighten around him.

Gabriel licked along Loki's jaw and breathed into his ear, making Loki tilt his head back and grip Rich’s hips harder.

Rich lay his head against the front of Loki’s shoulder, panting. “Tell you… AH!... _Show you_... UH!...” He tossed his head. “I love you!” he cried.

Gabriel raised his hand and cupped Rich’s face. “We’ll show you too, Love.”

Rich surprised them when he stilled and pulled himself off of Loki. He panted for a moment in Loki’s lap, catching his breath. He then turned and placed his knees on either side of Loki’s hips so he could look at them both.

“Baby?” Loki asked. “Are you...?”

Rich bit his lip. “I…” He breathed deeply, then looked at Gabriel. “I want… to be… with you.”

Gabriel touched his shoulder. “You are, Rich. We’re right here.”

“No.” Rich shook his head. “Both of you.” He swallowed, not sure how to go on. “Together. _Both_ of you.” He shifted his hips on Loki’s thighs. “Inside.”

“Oh, I see,” Gabriel said. His eyes glinted with desire. “If you really want to, you’re about halfway ready, Baby.”

Loki sucked in air between his teeth. “Are you sure, Rich? It’ll be-”

“I’m SURE,” Rich said, staring into Loki’s eyes. “I trust you. I know that you’ll both take care of me if something happens.”

Loki leaned forward and captured his mouth, nibbling on his lower lip. “I can’t say no to you sometimes.” He flipped Rich under him and spread his legs, eyeing his wet, slightly gaping, entrance.

“You still need extra prepping, Baby. You think your little hole can take it?” He pushed three fingers inside of him, and Rich moaned and bucked his hips.

“Yes! Stretch me open! I want your cocks inside me!” Rich gasped. He arched his back when Loki started to pump his fingers deep within him. Wet squelching sounds filled the room from his actions.

“Damn, listen to that,” Gabriel said. He leaned over Rich’s torso and watched Loki’s hand, seeing Rich’s orifice stretch marginally wider. “Mmm, gonna feel so good.”

“Ready for another finger, Baby?” Loki asked. He pulled his hand away, then pressed four fingers against Rich’s rim, waiting for his human’s permission to continue.

“Yes! Please! Put them in!” RIch begged. He pushed himself against Loki’s hand, and let out a low groan as he felt the digits slowly enter him. “ _Ohhhh_...”

“Slow and easy, Baby,” Loki said, easing his fingers inside. They slid in to the second knuckle, and he kept his hand still. Rich whined.

“Shh, Baby. Can’t just slam them all in there,” Loki said softly. He moved his hand in and out gently, stretching Rich’s walls little by little, until all four of his fingers rested inside him.

“Nnnngghh!” Rich threw back his head onto the bed. He was stretched so wide, and it felt _so good_. His cock stood nearly straight up from his groin, dribbling precum from its tip, and it caught the attention of Gabriel.

“Oh Baby, look at you. You make this for us?” He swiped his tongue over the slit, and Rich cried out his name. “Mmm, I’m making plans for an ‘after-dinner snack’ already.”

“Fuck, Gabriel,” Loki panted as he started to move and stretch his fingers inside of Rich. “Such a dirty mouth.”

“You know you like it,” Gabriel said. He lowered his mouth and ran his tongue up Rich’s shaft, making the human moan. “And you’re lying if you say you don’t.”

Loki felt Rich start to loosen around his fingers. “Keep doing that. It’s helping,” he said. He spread his fingers inside Rich’s channel, and the more Gabriel worked his mouth on Rich’s dick, the more Loki was able to prepare him for their cocks.

Rich was drowning in need. If he didn’t get filled with what he wanted soon he’d go insane. “Please… _Please_ ,” he started to say over and over.

“Gabriel, lay on your back,” Loki said. He was smoothly moving his fingers within Rich’s passage, the orifice nice and stretched for what they had planned. He watched the archangel crawl and lay on his back at the head of the bed, his legs slightly spread. He then pulled his fingers from Rich, making sure that he left a large deposit of lube inside of him.

He sat back on his haunches and patted Rich’s hip. “Let’s go, Baby,” he said.

Rich looked up at him with lust-blown eyes. “Finally,” he said, his voice slightly hoarse.

Loki chuckled and helped him to sit up. “Come on,” he said.

Rich observed as Loki made his way towards Gabriel. He sat between Gabriel’s legs then leaned back until he was also flat on the bed. He then scooted forward until his ass was flush with the archangel’s. He threw his knees over Gabriel’s hips and pressed their testicles and erect cocks against each other. They moaned and rutted together, and both used a hand to slick their organs up until they glistened and dripped with lubricant.

Gabriel then raised himself onto his elbows. “We’re not gonna fuck ourselves, Rich. Get that beautiful ass over here,” he said, licking his lips.

Rich quickly made his way over, feeling lube slip down his thighs. He didn’t quite know how to situate himself at first, but after gentle prodding from his lovers, he straddled where their groins met and hovered over their aching cocks, facing Gabriel.

Loki and Gabriel laid their hands on his hips, overlapping their fingers. “We’ve got you,” Gabriel said. “I won’t let you get hurt, Baby.”

“Come on, Rich. Nice and slow,” Loki said from behind him.

With the help of his trickster god and angel, Rich lowered himself onto their shafts. His widely stretched hole touched their cockheads and they pushed inside, stretching him even further.

“AH!”

Gabriel and Loki stopped. “Rich?” Gabriel asked.

“I-I’m OK. Keep going. Just go,” he whispered. He closed his eyes and lay his hands over the ones Gabriel and Loki had stationed on his hips. “Don’t stop.”

They slid further inside of him, and Rich bit his lip and his thighs started to shake. They were so big and thick inside of him! He knew the ladies had considered him much more than above average-sized (and he had no qualms about being proud of that, especially after being with his lovers), but to have _two_ inside of him? Wow! Happy Birthday to him!

Little by little, they entered him, and all three were moaning and breaking out in sweat. It was so tight! So wet! So hot! The temperature in the room had increased somehow, and it only added to the experience.

When Loki and Gabriel were finally sheathed entirely within Rich, they all gasped and panted. Rich’s rim was stretched taut, and the cocks within him throbbed against his walls.

“Rich?” Gabriel said. He moved his fingers against Rich’s skin. “Still with us?”

“Y-Yeah... “

“Loki?”

“Hmm?”

“I’m so full, you guys,” Rich said. He gave an experimental squeeze, and both Gabriel and Loki groaned and moved their hips slightly, which made Rich arch his back. “UH!”

“Baby, let’s get this show on the road before we buck you off,” Gabriel said, gritting his teeth.

“Not… gonna… argue,” Rich panted.

He braced his hands on Gabriel’s chest and felt the trickster god and archangel adjust their grips on his hips. He moved his pelvis up slowly, and his eyes widened as he felt his rim grip his lovers deliciously.

“Oh!” he said, his mouth falling open. “OH!”

“Feel good?” Gabriel said, helping him slide back down. He tossed his head back as he felt Loki move against him. “Fuck!”

“Keep going,” Loki growled. He dragged them all along each other, setting a rhythm.

Rich felt them slide and drag against his walls, hitting and stimulating that amazing place inside him with each stroke. Gabriel and Loki were squeezed by his channel, and they felt the bottom of their cocks glide back and forth against each other, one moving into Rich as the other moved out.

“Hah hah hah…” Rich panted, tossing his head from side to side as his body bounced. “So full… Oooo… Mmmm… Oh yeah…”

Loki squeezed his knees tight around Gabriel’s hips, pushing himself closer to where he connected with his lovers. “Gonna fill you up, Baby.” He grit his teeth when the head of Gabriel’s cock ran firmly along the underside of his shaft. “Angel! FUCK! Like that! Do that again! _Uhhh!_ ”

“Yes! Yes! Yes!” Gabriel cried. “I’ll do whatever you want! Just don’t stop! Keep going! Need to feel our cum all over us!” He grappled for a better hold on Rich’s slick skin, and Loki laced their fingers together, stabilizing their grip.

Loki and Gabriel then increased the movement of their hips, slamming them up and down, pulverizing Rich’s hole and channel, grinding against each other’s cocks. Their three-way physical connection caused them to be lost within their lovers’ bodies and touches, lost in the joy of giving and receiving pleasure. It had never been like this, all three of them making love as one.

They kept going, neither of the three wanting the intimacy to end, and the smell of sex became strong and heavy in the air. They moaned louder and louder, and the blanket they lay upon started to become damp from their sweat.

Gradually, a fog of sexual bliss overcame all their minds. They continued their erotic motions, the sensual thrills of pleasure still shooting across their nerves. They floated within the fog and readily embraced it.

And it was glorious.

They were able to see and feel one another, and bursts of light exploded across their vision.

A choked whisper was heard, but it was quickly forgotten.

Then a jolt of incredible ecstasy crashed over and within them, and their eyes snapped open as they were each overcome with the most mind-shattering orgasm any of them had ever experienced.

They writhed and rocked against each other, filling and covering each other in their release. It seemed to go on forever, and was almost painful in its intensity.

Time then seemed to slow down, and the next thing they knew they were back in their room. Their bodies were straining against each other, all gasping for air. Sweat poured from the pores of their skin, and slight aftershocks from their climaxes buzzed and tingled within them.

“Did…” Rich trailed off, trying to piece what had just happened in his brain. His hands had moved to his sides and his fingers were wrapped tight around his lovers’. “Where…”

Gabriel’s legs shifted under the weight of the human and trickster’s. “I don’t…” He swallowed. “I can’t…” He moved his fingers against the ones that touched his.” “Loki?”

“I need to think,” he said softly. He slowly started to lift Rich up, and Gabriel followed his lead. All three moaned at the movement. “Careful, Baby. We got you.”

Warm liquid flowed from Rich’s entrance onto the top of their groins as they slipped from him. As he fell forward onto Gabriel’s chest, the archangel quickly placed an open palm onto his widely gaping orifice to heal the soreness and return it to its previous state. “Shh, lie still,” he said, bringing both arms up to hold him.

Loki used his arms to push himself backwards, pulling his legs back carefully at the same time. “Are you two alright?” he said, sitting up and crossing his legs underneath him.

“I think so. You OK, sweetheart?” Gabriel asked, looking down at Rich.

Rich wrapped his arms around Gabriel’s shoulders as he nodded his head against the archangel’s chest. “Just tired, mostly,” he sighed. He rolled over to the side, bringing Gabriel with him. He then looked at Loki. “What was that?”

Loki shook his head, then stood from the bed. He started to pace, mumbling to himself.

“What’s going through your mind, Sugar?” Gabriel asked, watching the trickster warily.

Rich swallowed, pressing his lips into a thin line. “What happened was bad, wasn’t it?” he asked Loki.

“I don’t know, but I think we’re gonna have to head back to the Summit earlier than we planned.”

 

* * *

 

The next morning they informed everyone at the Bunker that they had decided to head back. It was met with a little sadness, but Rich promised that they would come back and visit as often as they could.

“Besides, once we all decide where we’re gonna settle down, you can all come visit us too,” he said, smiling warmly at them all. That seemed to lift their spirits, and soon goodbyes and hugs were exchanged between them all.

Well, most of them anyway; Loki just shook hands.

They traveled by the portal and appeared in the Boss’ office, who was quite surprised to see them after only a couple of days.

“That was quick,” she said, standing from her desk. She was about to say something else when she noticed their grave expressions. “What?” she asked, furrowing her brow.

“We need to talk,” Loki said.

They explained what had happened and just casually mentioned what they had been doing during it (which made Rich blush and avert his eyes). The Boss sat back in her chair and mulled over their words, then held out her hand above her desk.

“Place your hands upon mine,” she instructed. She waited as they did so, then closed her eyes, reaching out for their life forces with her powers. She searched within them, swirling around their souls that pulsed in sync and burned brightly.

She then noticed something within Rich and focused on it. What was this? Had it been there before? It was subtle, but there all the same. Could it be? Should she tell them? No, this was something that they would have to learn and grow from on their own.

 _Oh Love. You and the Cosmos are so mysterious with your plans_ , she thought.

She opened her eyes and saw them looking at her intently. “You all seem to be fine. It’s a part of your souls... “ She really didn’t want to lie to them, so she told them what she could for the moment. “It’s a part of your souls preparing themselves for your future lives.”

“That’s it? And what exactly does that _mean?_ ” Loki asked, withdrawing his hand. Rich and Gabriel did the same.

“Souls are complicated. You’ll learn that as time goes on,” she said, smiling.

“Why do you always have to be so cryptic?” Gabriel said, crossing his arms. “We need Gabe here.”

She smiled and folded her arms on her desk. “It’s part of my job description.”

 

* * *

 

They stayed at the Summit for a few more days, going over plans for what they would do when they returned to Earth. Rich decided that he didn’t want to stay in Los Angeles anymore; it was too crowded, too impersonal, too busy. He wanted to be somewhere that he could go outside and enjoy having a yard, a garden, go fishing.

And most importantly, have privacy with the loves of his life. He imagined walking into the door after being away for a few weeks and being greeted with open arms, delighted smiles, and laughing eyes.

Gabriel and Loki thought it was the best idea that they had ever heard.

When they said goodbye once again to the Boss, she gave each of them a tight hug. Rich and Gabriel returned it gladly, but Loki, being Loki, merely patted her on the back. The Boss laughed softly and gave him an amused look, yet said nothing as she stepped away so they could all gather in front of the glowing aperture.

“Please remember to keep where you want to go firmly in your mind. It won’t be a quick hop like it is here,” she reminded them. It was mostly for Rich’s benefit.

Gabriel and Loki made sure to stand on either side of their human and took one of his hands into their own. “Don’t worry, Boss. We’ll make sure he gets there,” Gabriel said, smiling.

She acknowledged him with a bow of her head. “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call upon me. I’ll be here. And boys,” she added, her voice softening noticeably, “please take care of each other. You all need each other so much more than you realize.”

Rich looked at her in puzzlement. “Boss? Everything OK?”

She shook her head. “I’m just being sentimental. I’m going to miss you.”

“We’ll miss you too,” Rich said. He blinked his eyes rapidly to fight back the sting of tears.

“Go,” she said, motioning towards the portal, “before I say something that’ll embarrass me.”

“Bye Boss,” Rich and Gabriel said.

“Goodbye,” Loki said.

The next moment they were gone.

“Be happy,” the Boss said to the empty room. “You all deserve it.”

 

* * *

 

Rich felt like he was flying. It also felt like he was being battered on all sides by a fierce wind. He struggled at first to keep his eyes open, but the bright white and blue lights of the vortex he and his partners had appeared in nearly blinded him, so he squeezed them shut. He felt the firm grips of Gabriel and Loki’s hands and held onto them desperately, afraid he would be lost forever in this place if he let go.

He realized with horror that he had forgotten to keep thinking of where they were going, and immediately pictured the cabin in the woods outside of Vancouver and focused with all his mental energy upon it.

The sound of the vortex roared in his ears, and his body jerked hard to the side. He cried out in alarm and felt his hand start to slip from Gabriel’s. The archangel tugged on his fingers, then adjusted his grip and wrapped his entire hand around his wrist.

_The cabin. The cabin in the woods. Vancouver. Vancouver…_

 

* * *

 

“Rich? Rich! Open your eyes, Baby. We’re here!”

Rich gasped, then inhaled fresh air. He opened one eye, then the other. “Gabriel?” he said.

“Last time I checked,” the archangel said, smiling with relief. “You’ve just been standing there gritting your teeth. Are you alright?”

“We’re here? It’s over?”

He heard footsteps crunching over gravel to his left and moved his head to see Loki walking towards the cabin, looking about the area as if he were casing it.

The cabin. They really _were_ here!

He whirled around and noticed that the portal wasn’t there. He turned to Gabriel in confusion.

“But where?”

“Can’t have a human accidentally walking into it, can we? It popped closed the moment we arrived. Don’t worry, they’re made to snap back open when we need them again.”

“Oh. I guess I should’ve asked about all that, huh?” Rich said, laughing softly. He was feeling much calmer, glad that the whole ordeal of traveling was over. He didn’t want to have anything to do with portals for a long while if he could help it.

“You’re still learning. It’s to be expected,” Gabriel said, wrapping an arm around his waist. “Come on, let’s head inside. It’s getting dark.”

Rich looked up, noticing that it was almost dusk. “I wonder how long we’ve been gone?” he said, slinging an arm around Gabriel’s waist as well. “It’s been about two months in your world.”

“Well, considering that time passes a good deal slower here,” Gabriel reminded him as they headed towards the cabin, “it’s been a couple of weeks.”

Rich paused. “That’s _all?_ ”

“Yep.”

“Well damn. That IS slow,” he said, walking side by side with the archangel up the steps to the front door to follow Loki inside. He then pursed his lips in thought. “And we’ll age really slow here too, the Boss said.”

“Yes…” Gabriel said, watching his human work things out in his brain.

“Well shit, I guess we _are_ sorta like vampires afterall!”

Gabriel rolled his eyes. “If that helps you understand things better, I’ll go along with it sweetheart.”

Once they had all settled inside, Rich went straight for his phone to call his personal assistant to let them know about his future plans, and that he planned on implementing them as soon as he finished his con in May.

“Yes, Kit. I _am_ serious. No, I’ll still do the other conventions, too. Yeah, I’m feeling better. This vacation is just what I needed to clear my head. Oh, he did? That’s great! Maybe it’ll work out this time. You too. Thanks, Kitty. Don't know what I’d do without you taking care of things for me. No, I really mean it, Darlin’. Call you soon.”

He placed his phone down on the table and clapped his hands together. “Well, that’s taken care of. What’s for dinner?”

 

* * *

  

Rich’s personal assistant ended her call with her employer and immediately dialed a number listed only as “C.” She waited for it to be answered, nervously twisting her shirt with her other hand.

“What is it?” a grating voice asked once it was picked up.

“H-He got back in touch with me,” she said.

“Good. And how is that other project?”

“They said they’re still optimistic and-”

“Optimistic!” the voice scoffed. “That word is overused! Just keep doing as I’ve told you before.”

“Of course,” she said, unconsciously bowing her head, her long strawberry-blonde hair falling over her shoulders.

“And Catherine?”

“Yes?”

“You’re mine, not his. Don’t make me have to keep _reminding_ you.”

Her fingers brushed lightly against the fading bruises that encircled her throat, and her blue-gray eyes winced at the touch.

“Of course. Yours. I’m yours.”

**Author's Note:**

> *buff: a very flexible piece of clothing made from a piece of coolmax (or one of several other types of stretchy fabrics) that is woven into a tube, about a foot long, and seven inches in diameter, and can be used as a scarf or light balaclava


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